Kagera hospital lauded after meeting SafeCare standards
What you need to know:
SafeCare is an international initiative that aims at supporting health facilities in developing countries to comply with set standards of care, which are accepted internationally and approved both the ministry of Health.
Mugana. Kagera-based Mugana Hospital has become the first health facility in Tanzania to reach the SafeCare highest level in excellence in quality care--SafeCare Level 5.
SafeCare is an international initiative that aims at supporting health facilities in developing countries to comply with set standards of care, which are accepted internationally and approved both the ministry of Health.
The Mugana Hospital managed to move the quality healthcare ladder from SafeCare Level 1 to Level 5. Speaking on the achievement of the hospital, Dr Josephine Balati, the Health of the Christian Social Services Commission (CSSC) director, said it was imperative for healthcare providers to adhere to best practices even when resources are scarce.
He applauded the Mugana Hospital and stressed that being recognised and rewarded means telling the community where to go for quality services. “The health care delivery system in Tanzania is riddled with a lot of challenges including availability of adequate resources for provision of quality services,” he said.
“Even when resources are available, patients safety is not guaranteed because of ignoring ethics that guide the profession.”
Human Development Innovation Fund (HDIF) Team Leader David McGinty said his fund was delighted to be part of this success as it demonstrated that it was really possible for a hospital in Tanzania to comply with internationally recognised standards of care, achieve excellence in quality with the available resources.
Mr McGinty said the commitment of the hospital management and staff, the desire to be the best and the support provided by CSSC were some of the contributing factors that made this dream become a reality.
“Mugana Hospital will be the shining star that will be followed by others provided that these achievements are sustained,” he said.
The SafeCare initiative was launched in 2011 in Cape Town, South Africa and implementation in Tanzania started in 2012.
The project also intended to promote sector-wide acceptance of the fact that with structured support, facilities in Tanzania are capable of meeting international standards of healthcare.
