Friday 15 / November / 2024
Muscat: Ibri Hospital, which is under the supervision of the Ministry of Health, has come up with a framework to ensure patients’ safety while they undergo medical intervention. It has proposed measures such as setting up of a special healthcare services management programme. According to the hospital statement, 10 per cent of the patients suffer from unintended medical damages, 75 per cent of which could be avoided.
“Patient safety is a fundamental element of healthcare, and if neglected, it can result in severe medical losses,” stated the hospital. The initiative is an assessment mechanism used to develop services for patients in the hospital, it mentioned.
It is about healthcare services, leadership and management, patient and public involvement, safety evidence medical practice, safe environment and lifelong learning, noted Aish Al Azizi, Head of Quality and Patients’ Safety at Ibri Hospital. “It will enable the hospital to assist in patient care through patient safety providers,” she added.
According to Al Azizi, the framework is based on five main pillars of the health system, such as establishing principles of safety management in healthcare services, strengthening and training of healthcare personnel, vertical campaigns that include medical devices safety, and maternal quality of healthcare services through accreditation. “Oman is one of the best among the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries, but there are a few challenges to patients’ safety in Oman, ranging from biological waste management to medical device safety,” she clarified.
To strengthen quality assurance mechanisms, including accreditation system from the Ministry of Health, the initiative works on incorporating selected patient safety indicators within the accreditation system for hospitals.
“Patients’ safety is daily work, but we still need to develop more clear healthcare elements,” she added.
The initiative aims to incorporate patient safety principles and concepts in the Public Health Act.
