The North West Health Department will tomorrow convene a Quality Assurance Summit at Embassy Hall, Mafikeng to mark World Quality Day under the theme 'In Pursuit of Excellence'. The summit will focus on delivering accident free health care at health facilities. Issues to be looked include reducing staff negative attitude through complaints management system, infection prevention and control and cleanliness.
World Quality Day aims to raise awareness of the importance of quality performance of professional responsibilities and tasks across nations and in organisations to strengthen the improvement of innovation, growth and sustainability.
Moving towards accident free health care delivery, the department established Patients Safety Programme Group which looks at adverse events affecting patients and come with preventative measures. The committee sits once a month and comprises of managers from different disciplines within the department like Obstetrics and Gynecology, Surgery, Forensic Pathology, Family Medicine, Anaesthesia, Nursing, Nursing Education, Emergency Medical Rescue Services, and Legal Services.
The approach encourages institutions to report adverse events without fear of punitive measures. Remedial measures are implemented that address systems failures. Health professionals of casualty departments are trained regularly on triage for efficient sorting and coding of patients based on the urgency of their medical conditions as they present to casualty to ensure appropriate medical attention.
The summit which is scheduled to start at 11h00 will be attended by hospital managers, quality assurance officers at facilities and district managers.
The media are invited.
Enquiries:
Tebogo Lekgethwane
Cell: 082 929 9958
E-mail: Tlekgethwane@nwpg.gov.za
