Oman | News | Patient Safety Friendly Hospital Initiative in Oman

Patient Safety Friendly Hospital Initiative in Oman

Print PDF

Patient_safety_debriefingDebriefing of WHO mission on patient safety with HE Dr Mohammed Al Hosni, Undersecretary for Health Affairs, and Dr Akjemal Magtymova, WHO Representative for Oman22 May 2018 – In response to the heavy burden of unsafe care in WHO's Eastern Mediterranean Region, WHO is identifying solutions to promote effective and safer care and integrate the above mentioned interventions. The flagship for patient safety work in the Region is the Patient Safety Friendly Hospital Initiative.

The initiative was started in 2011 and aimed at enhancing the visibility and implementation of patient safety practices in health care facilities. It provides an excellent framework to guide hospitals in establishing a patient safety improvement process.

This includes setting 140 safety standards in:

  • leadership/management
  • patient and public involvement
  • safe evidence-based clinical practices
  • safe environment
  • life learning measures.

The initiative provides a framework through which health care facilities can deliver safer patient care. It assesses health care facilities from a patient safety perspective, builds the capacity of staff, and involves patients in improving health outcomes. 

NursesOman is a leading country in the Region in adopting the Patient Safety Friendly Hospital Initiative as a way to improve the safety of health care in public and private hospitals to promote safe health care as the right of the entire population in Oman.  

The Ministry of Health of Oman adopted the initiative in 2015 and planned to cover all hospitals under the supervision of the Ministry of Health, including private hospitals, by the end of 2018. Since then almost 90% of the main hospitals in Oman are enrolled in this initiative, in total 26 hospitals (16 out of 18 public and 10 private hospitals). Four hospitals (2 public and 2 private) were fully accredited in 2017.     

All enrolled hospitals subjected for regular assessment from the internal team and the final assessment by the external experts. During the last external mission to Oman supported by WHO from 5 to 26 April 2018, 3 public (Khoula hospital, Ibra and Sohar hospitals) and one private hospital (Badr Al Salamaa hospital) were assessed and successfully accredited.  

Oman and WHO are committed to the patient safety movement and continue close collaboration to build  upon current achievements and move forward with 8 hospitals which have achieved the second and the third levels of the PSFHI standards.