Postpartum care centers to face government evaluations starting 2026
Starting in 2026, the government will evaluate postpartum care centers and publish the results. The evaluation indicators include linking to medical institutions, preparing guidelines for transportation, and responding to infectious diseases.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that the “Notification on Evaluation of Postpartum Care Centers” will be available for public comment until July 22.
The notification outlines the details necessary for evaluating postpartum care centers under the Maternal and Child Health Act. The draft composition and operation of a comprehensive evaluation committee for postpartum care centers, evaluation criteria and methods for postpartum care centers, evaluation results, and publication of postpartum care centers.
More specifically, the Comprehensive Evaluation Committee for Postpartum Care Centers deliberates and determines matters related to judging the evaluation results of postpartum care centers, matters related to reviewing appeals against evaluation results, matters related to establishing and revising evaluation tables, matters related to improving the evaluation system, and matters related to publication of evaluation results.
The committee will comprise five to seven members, including the chairperson. They should be composed of individuals recommended by the Minister of Health and Welfare, those recommended by the head of the evaluation agency, and those with knowledge and experience in infection prevention and healthcare, and they should serve a term of one year.
The Minister of Health and Welfare, along with the head of the evaluation agency, should establish an annual evaluation plan for postpartum care centers and notify the postpartum care providers accordingly. Postpartum care providers should apply for the evaluation within one month of receiving notification of the evaluation plan.
The evaluation indicators comprise 83 items across six areas: staffing adequacy and expertise, facility adequacy and safety, operation and customer management, infection prevention management, maternal care services, parental education, and newborn care services.
The operational management indicators included guidelines for the referral and transfer of mothers and newborns to medical institutions, ensuring that procedures were followed according to these guidelines. Additionally, guidelines exist for managing infectious disease outbreaks, and actions are taken based on these guidelines.
The evaluation results are categorized into certification, conditional certification, and pending certification. If a postpartum care provider fails to cooperate with the evaluation without a valid reason, it is classified as a rejection. The ministry has made the evaluation results publicly available on the ministry's website and the websites of the evaluation agency.
The notification will take effect from the date of issuance. It will be applied to the first postpartum caregiver evaluation conducted on or after January 1, 2026.