4 September 2024, Lahj, Yemen – Ibn Khaldoun Hospital in Lahj embarked on a journey towards enhanced health care quality and management stability under the leadership of Dr Majeed Atif. This endeavour began soon after his appointment as hospital director in 2022.

A dedicated quality team and committee were set up in 2022, marking a new era of commitment to quality improvement and patient safety. The hospital, which opened its doors in 1990, has a 250-bed capacity and serves a significant catchment area of more than 1.5 million people.

Its management has since undertaken several initiatives to ensure continuous quality improvement. A cornerstone of these efforts is the development of an annual quality plan. This is rigorously followed up and evaluated to ensure ongoing advances in hospital operations and patient care.

Further strengthening its commitment to patient safety, Ibn Khaldoun Hospital has implemented WHO checklists for safe surgeries and childbirth. It has also established policies for accurate patient identification at all stages of diagnosis and treatment.

In line with WHO-recommended infection prevention and control measures, the hospital has adopted Yemen’s national infection prevention and control guidelines. These include enhanced hygiene practices, advanced sterilization and safe injection protocols, proper management of health care waste, and consistent use of personal protective equipment. Handwashing stations have also been set up across the hospital to reinforce efforts to prevent the spread of infections.

In the realm of pharmaceutical management, Ibn Khaldoun Hospital prioritizes the safe handling of high-risk medications and the precise monitoring of patient records. This approach ensures drug safety and appropriate treatment.

This multipronged approach – spanning planning, adoption of protocols and guidelines, and investments in patient records management and medical supplies and consumables – is contributing to enhanced quality of care for patients in Lahj governorate.

WHO supports quality of care capacity-building in this hospital as part of the Emergency Human Capital Project implemented in partnership with the World Bank.

4 September 2024, Taizz, Yemen – In 2023, Khalifa Hospital in Taizz significantly boosted its commitment to quality health care by adding a dedicated quality team. Focusing on infection prevention and control, follow-up and evaluation, this team works with a quality committee led by the hospital director.

Established in 1989, this 220-bed capacity hospital is a vital health facility, serving a catchment area of about 1 million people. Annually, the hospital has 55 000 outpatient visits, 17 000 emergency cases and 5000 inpatient admissions.

The quality team has noticeably improved the hospital’s services. This progress was acknowledged on World Patient Safety Day, 17 September 2023. Both WHO and the Ministry of Public Health and Population celebrated the hospital for its adoption of safety protocols for surgery and childbirth. This approach underscores the facility’s commitment to enhance patient safety and quality of care.

A WHO team visited Khalifa Hospital in October 2023, as part of implementing the Emergency Human Capital Project (EHCP), and met with key health workers in the surgical and maternity departments. Dr Mazen Al-Zuberi, General Manager; Dr Abdullah Noamaan, District Health Office Manager; and Dr Abdulazeez Al-Selwi, Head of the Quality Department, shared insights into the transformative impact of adopting the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist.

This tool has significantly reduced medical errors and enhanced patient safety – a major stride towards better quality of care. Anaesthetist Dr Basheer Abbas shared the Surgical Safety Checklist’s practical benefits, emphasizing its role in identifying patients with underlying conditions that contraindicate surgery, thereby enhancing personalized patient care.

In 2023, Khalifa Hospital embarked on a crucial WHO-led training initiative, with sessions aiming to strengthen infection prevention and control practices. This pivotal effort led to significantly enhanced hand hygiene protocols and more effective use of personal protective equipment. Both will contribute to reduce health care-associated infections.

Integrating the Surgical Safety Checklist, as well as the WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist, into clinical routines substantially improves the safety of surgical and childbirth procedures. The hospital has also advanced its waste management and sterilization processes, reinforcing a safe and clean treatment environment.

The hospital expects these improvements to lead to lower maternal and neonatal mortality rates and a decrease in postsurgical complications. The initiative has also sparked a cultural shift towards prioritizing safety and quality of care.

WHO supports quality of care capacity-building in this hospital as part of the Emergency Human Capital Project implemented in partnership with the World Bank.

4 September 2024, Marib, Yemen – Marib General Hospital, established in 2005, is located near active conflict zones and amid a hub of displaced populations. As such, it serves as a critical health facility for some of the most vulnerable.

With a 180-bed capacity and an average bed occupancy of 75%, it caters to a vast catchment area of 3 million people, handling more than 10000 inpatient cases annually.

In response to pressing needs, the hospital has made several attempts to establish a quality team. The latest effort, in 2022, was successful, and the team has been instrumental in applying the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist and enhancing quality across multiple areas, even amid severe patient overcrowding. These areas include infection prevention and control, and sterilization.

This commitment to quality has set Marib General Hospital apart from other facilities. It has also cemented the hospital’s relationship with local authorities, which have provided financial support in recognition of the hospital’s role in alleviating the health burden on the governorate. The hospital management’s dedication to quality health care is further evidenced by the engagement of an external quality specialist, funded via local authority support.

A WHO team visited the hospital in March 2023 and commended its implementation of quality, safety, and infection control measures across departments. Marib General Hospital stands out for its ongoing workforce training, self-financing initiatives, and proactive approach to continuous evaluation and improvement. Regular management meetings are held to discuss service quality, identify service gaps and come up with solutions. Special meetings consider patient morbidity and mortality to improve care outcomes.

Effective use of quality standards demonstrates a comprehensive approach to ensuring patient safety and quality. Among others, the hospital has implemented the Surgical Safety Checklist, as well as the WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist; infection control protocols; water, sanitation and hygiene standards; and standards for the management of pharmaceutical supplies.

Through these measures, Marib General Hospital not only addresses the immediate health needs of its community but also lays the foundations for ongoing improvements in health service delivery. In this way, it serves as a model of resilience.

WHO supports quality of care capacity-building in this hospital as part of the Emergency Human Capital Project implemented in partnership with the World Bank.