Singapore: Recently Integrated Ventures, a health consulting firm, had organized a healthcare conference to generate awareness among healthcare professionals and discuss the recent developments in the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers NABH in India.

Speaking at the recent healthcare conference organized by Mr K K Kalra chief executive officer of (NABH), India, said that the north eastern part of the country had the potential to become a major healthcare hub for entire Southeast Asia.

He said that if certain hurdles like manpower and fund allocation are sorted, the north eastern states could form a chain of health centers for the country thus boosting the economy. "I am quite happy with the presence of stakeholders. It shows they are committed to providing better services in this sector. The northeast has a lot of potential and, once the challenges are met, it can become one of the major healthcare centers in South East Asia," Mr Kalra added.

NABH was set up in 2006 with a view to providing accreditation to healthcare organizations. At present, only 250 hospitals in the country have NABH accreditation, a constituent board of the Quality Council of India. The board functions to address consumer needs and to set benchmarks for the country's health industry.

The conference held under the theme 'Quality: A Tool to Enhance and Sustain Patient Experience' was attended by over 130 stake holders. Financial implications of delivering quality healthcare service and challenges in maintaining hospitals were discussed.

Ms Jyoti Rama Das, managing partner, Integra Ventures, said, "The northeast has only one NABH-accredited hospital. Such accreditation can be obtained only after a third party evaluates the management of a health institution. It is not that hospitals here do not want to get evaluated. What is needed is awareness on how to approach NABH and meet the norms."