Maoist-hit dists see 11 health centres clear NQAS norms

Raipur: Eleven health facilities in the Maoist-affected districts of Dantewada and Sukma cleared the National Quality Assurance Standard (NQAS) evaluation, conducted with technical support from the World Health Organisation (WHO). This marks a major boost to healthcare delivery in remote and high-security-risk regions. Despite challenging terrain and limited resources—particularly at centres like the Kistaram Sub-Health Centre—health workers continued to maintain strong service standards. The govt says this achievement reflects its commitment to making healthcare accessible, reliable, and quality-driven in tribal and hard-to-reach areas.Health department officials said the aspirational districts of Dantewada and Sukma—once among the country's most active Maoist zones—showed notable progress under the NQAS programme. "In the past fortnight, a total of 11 health institutions in these two districts successfully completed their NQAS evaluation. The assessment was carried out with the technical cooperation of the World Health Organisation (WHO)," they said.Four institutions from Sukma district and seven from Dantewada participated in the evaluation. The Kistaram Sub-Health Centre in Konta block drew particular attention. Located around 200 kilometres from the district headquarters and 120 kilometres from the block headquarters, it is considered highly sensitive from a security standpoint, officials added. Despite its difficult location, which borders two states, health workers there continued to deliver a high level of service quality.Extending improved health services to Maoist-affected and remote areas is a crucial step toward ensuring the right to health, not merely an administrative exercise.