*Prime Minister opens Middle East Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare

Hamad Medical Corporation has achieved zero percent harm for patients in some of its facilities in 2018, a top health official said on Saturday.

“In some of our facilities, we reached zero percent harm for patients in 2018. This was in treatment for some areas such as thrombosis or sepsis among others,” said Dr Abdullatif al-Khal, deputy chief medical officer and director of medical education at HMC told at a press conference.

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani on Saturday opened the Middle East Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare 2019, at Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) under the theme "Patient Safety First".

The three-day forum was opened in the presence of HE Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari, Minister of Public Health, and a number of other ministers, senior officials, and dignitaries.

Dr al-Khal was speaking to the media on the sidelines of the 2019 Middle East Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare that opened at the Qatar National Convention Centre.

“In post-operative period, some patients who undergo surgery may develop thrombosis of the legs and it can be dangerous. It can affect lungs and even kill the patient. We have measures to make sure that it does not happen. We achieved this in some of our facilities in 2018,” explained Dr al-Khal.

"In some of our facilities, no patients developed such complications. We have achieved it in other areas such as sepsis. There are also some areas of infections where we could reach zero harm for patients in some of the facilities of HMC,” he continued.

“It is a continuous process and even if we reach zero harm in some areas, we can’t rest .We need to maintain it. What we have achieved is, really encouraging, acknowledging that harm can happen anytime and what are the areas where harm can take place. We also have initiatives, checks and balances to prevent the harms from happening,” he noted.

Nasser al-Naimi, deputy chief, quality and director of Hamad Healthcare Quality Institute (HHQI) and Middle East Forum co-chair, and Nayef al- Shammari, assistant executive director for media also attended the press conference.

Al-Naimi explained how this year’s forum tracks were reflected in the design of the Knowledge Zone, one of the exhibitions on the sidelines of the forum.

“There are so many inter-dependencies that need to be managed to initiate sustainable quality improvement and with our exhibits, we wanted to give delegates the opportunity to learn, reflect, be inspired, and share knowledge with other professionals –all in an exciting and fun environment,” said al-Naimi.

This year’s forum highlights the quality and safety aspects of the world-class healthcare services that are provided to patients across Qatar’s health system.The event is being attended by nearly 3,000 delegates.

Dr al-Kuwari noted that the growth of Qatar’s healthcare system has placed it on par with the world’s best-performing health systems.

“Since we came together at last year’s Forum we have opened Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital, Sidra Medicine formally opened, and the new NaufarCenter became operational. Additionally, in 2018 we opened four new PHCC health and wellness centres – all providing high-quality care to our patients much closer to where they live. This increase in capacity and advances in quality have transformed our health system into a regional leader that is comparable with the world’s best,” said Dr al-Kuwari.

“We’re more proactive in the early detection of treatable diseases than ever before – this year PHCC passed the 50,000 mark in the number of patients having bowel and breast screening. And a number of HMC services – such as cardiac care, the stroke programme, and ambulance response times – are all consistently exceeding international best practice benchmarks. And all of this is recognised on the international stage. The World Bank puts Qatar in the top quartile for Universal Health Coverage, and the Legatum Prosperity Index ranks Qatar as the fifth best for health in the world,” added Dr al-Kuwari.

CEO of the US Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Derek Feeley said the renewed partnership between IHI and Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) is critical to promoting quality development initiatives and continuing hospital-to-home care, noting the renewed cooperation with HMC for providing a dedicated forum for quality improvement practitioners to help focus on developing new and better ways to care for the patient.

After the opening ceremony, the dignitaries toured the ‘Knowledge Zone’, at the conference exhibition area. With over 15 exhibitors, including the Ministry of Public Health, HHQI, Primary Health Care Corporation, Qatar Armed Forces, Qatar Red Crescent, Sidra Medicine, Qatar University, and the World Innovation Summit for Health, the tour delegation met with representatives of important partners in quality.

A documentary about HMC and the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) was also shown.

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