In a deliberate attempt to improve its services for quality healthcare delivery, Paelon Memorial Hospital attained the SafeCare Level five quality improvement standards, making it the first hospital to attain a level five in Africa.
Level five is the highest quality points in quality assessment. This means that patients are assured of top-notch services and safety. SafeCare is an internationally recognized quality improvement and certification program by PharmAccess Foundation.
It measures the level of quality in hospitals through a set framework, creates transparency, and acts as a tool for self-regulation and benchmarking. Its accreditation standards cover a full range of clinical services and management functions, as well as infrastructural aspects and ancillary services–for example, kitchen, cleaning, and laundry services.
This enables a holistic view of all the components required for the safe and efficient provision of health care services. Paelon Memorial Hospital received her level five certificate at an event in Lagos, making it a second achievement since embarking on her quality improvement journey.
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While presenting the certificate, Njide Ndili, country director, PharmAccess Foundation, said through the SafeCare initiative a comprehensive assessment of the hospital identified its quality gaps and a tailored 18-month a quality improvement plan was designed and supported the execution of the plan.
“As a result, the hospital has significantly improved its healthcare delivery and the quality of services to patients,” Ndili said.
On her part, the managing director of Paelon Memorial Hospital, Ngozi Onyia, stated that the hospital commenced its accreditation process 18 months ago, building on initial quality improvement efforts with PharmAccess Foundation.
She said the program has ensured quality service delivery and increased the hospital’s brand equity. She also thanked PharmAccess Foundation’s quality team for working and supporting the hospital throughout the process, as she received the certificate.
During her remarks, the director of quality, Ibironke Dada said that PharmAccess Nigeria will continue to expand and scale its SafeCare Quality Improvement Methodology to support both private and public healthcare facilities offering primary, secondary, and tertiary services in Nigeria.
It was learnt that PharmAccess Foundation, Joint Commission International (JCI) and the Council for Health Service Accreditation Southern Africa (COHSASA) created the SafeCare Standards and Quality Improvement Methodology in 2011.
This was in response to the shortage of institutions and standards for objective measurement and rating of the quality of basic health care facilities in Africa
