MoHAP Teams Up With WHO To Elevate Hospital Safety Standards In The UAE

The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has recently unveiled the Patient Safety Friendly Hospitals initiative, a pivotal move in its ongoing strategy to elevate the quality of healthcare services to meet international standards. This initiative, developed in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO), is designed to foster safer healthcare environments by implementing accredited standards that align with global practices.

The WHO-supported programme is set to drive the adoption of safe health practices across medical facilities. It provides a robust set of standards and a framework aimed at improving patient care safety, alongside a detailed evaluation of hospital performance in this critical area. The initiative also focuses on enhancing staff skills related to patient safety and involves patients in efforts to boost healthcare quality.

Following extensive training in collaboration with WHO, a national team has been accredited as national evaluators for this initiative. Marking a significant milestone, Fujairah Hospital of the Emirates Health Services and Mediclinic City Hospital have become the first two hospitals in the country to be recognized as "patient safety-friendly hospitals".

Dr. Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Under-Secretary for the Public Health Sector, emphasized the importance of quality and safety in healthcare services as fundamental to the development of the UAE's healthcare system. "We aim for the UAE to become a global benchmark in healthcare service quality and patient safety," he stated.

Dr. Al Rand highlighted the concerted efforts made by health entities in the UAE to enhance patient safety at every stage of service delivery. Through partnerships with international bodies like WHO, MoHAP has developed comprehensive health policies, plans, and interventions aimed at significantly improving healthcare service quality.

A revealing study conducted across six countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region found that 18 percent of hospital admissions were associated with patient harm resulting from medical interventions, with 83 percent of these incidents being preventable. This statistic underscores the critical need for initiatives like the Patient Safety Friendly Hospitals programme to mitigate such risks and enhance overall patient care.

The launch of this initiative represents a strategic step forward in ensuring that healthcare facilities across the UAE adhere to the highest standards of patient safety and care quality. By aligning with international best practices and fostering a culture of safety within hospitals, MoHAP aims to significantly reduce instances of patient harm and set a new standard for healthcare excellence both regionally and globally.

With inputs from WAM