Ludhiana, April 17 -- The Ludhiana Civil Hospital has jumped from the bottom to first spot in Punjab under this year's Kayakalp assessment. The Khanna Civil Hospital, which ranked 14th last time, is at the 13th place this year, according to the annual assessment report.

The Kayakalp assessment is an annual initiative by the Union ministry of health and family welfare that evaluates public health facilities on cleanliness, hygiene, and infection control standards.

The Ludhiana facility had last year ranked at the bottom among qualifying district hospitals after concerns over sanitation, patient movement crowd handling and infrastructure maintenance. Officials said the focus this time remained on gaps that directly affect patient experien...