Doha, Qatar: Qatar has made remarkable progress in patient safety over recent years and joined the global healthcare community in celebrating World Patient Safety Day yesterday.
It coincided with the 10th Qatar Patient Safety Week, and the Ministry of Public Health opened a three day conference under the theme ‘Improving Diagnosis for Patient Safety.’
The three-day conference focuses on the importance of timely and accurate diagnoses for improving patient safety. It emphasises integrating diagnostic safety into patient safety policies at all healthcare levels, aligning with national and global action plans. “We are marking World Patient Safety Day, which is September 17 as part of our local Patient Safety Week, and we align with the theme [Improving Diagnosis for Patient Safety] that is announced by the World Health Organization. This theme is important due to the high percentage of errors happening due to wrong diagnosis, delayed diagnosis or even not being diagnosed that affect the patient outcome across healthcare systems,” said the lead of the National Patient Safety Programme at the Minister of Public Health, Dr. Shimous Mohammad, speaking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of the event held in Doha.
Referring to the state of patient safety in Qatar, she said, “We are really moving in a very strong and fast direction, and Qatar has been really developing since the first National Health Strategy and now we recently launched the third National Health Strategy, in which one of the pillars is patient-centered care and patient experience.”
Dr. Mohammad empahsised that there has been notable advancement in all areas of patient safety, including improving medication safety, protecting vulnerable groups such as women, children, and the elderly, and enhancing the use of technology.
“Our goal is to ensure that patients receive services of the highest safety and quality,’ she said.
The conference hosts 72 local and international experts, specialists, and patient representatives. They will speak at panel discussions on patient safety topics and lectures where healthcare institutions will share their successful experiences in enhancing service quality and safety.
Experts shared research and best practices for safe diagnostics and discussed enhancing cooperation among policymakers, healthcare leaders, and other stakeholders.
In her opening remarks at the conference, Director of Strategic Planning, Performance, and Innovation at the Ministry of Public Health, Huda Al Khtheeri, said, “As we mark the 10th anniversary of Qatar Patient Safety Week, we reflect on a decade of commitment to advancing healthcare quality and safety. Together, we’ve made incredible improvements in patient safety. However, with the fast-paced advancements in healthcare come new challenges to the safety of our services, our patients and our staff. For which we need to keep the momentum going and proactively ensure that quality and safety are always integral to all that we do to deliver the best patient outcomes.” Public and private healthcare providers are showcasing their patient safety initiatives at an exhibition being held alongside the conference.
The Ministry of Public Health and several other iconic buildings were lit up in orange to show their commitment to improving patient safety.
