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On Sunday, the quasi-governmental organization, Quality Control of India will introduce the accreditation process with the first stop of healthcare for most consumers: neighbourhood doctors. "Once the government passes the Clinical Establishments Act, it will be binding on all healthcare providers to seek accreditation," said QCI secretary general Dr Giridhar Gyani.

How will Cliniq 21st help patients? It will mean that a doctor with the brand has been attending continued medical education (CME) lectures, he or she will provide health checkups for his/her staff and the clinic will have minimum required emergency care equipment and the place will be fumigated once a week. "Once patients or their relatives see this Cliniq 21st board outside a doctor's chamber or a clinic, they can expect a certain standard of treatment and infrastructure," said Dr Ravi Wankhedkar of the Indian Medical Assocation's state branch. The need for such an accreditation process cannot be underlined enough. "This is a step towards standardizing healthcare delivery organizations," said P Gadgil of an NGO, Forum for Enhancement of Quality in Healthcare, an interface between the medical community and QCI.