The fourth introductory workshop on primary healthcare accreditation standards has been concluded today in Jeddah, where the four-day workshop started on Sunday. The workshop is one of the introductory courses organized by MOH's Health Centers General Department.
Furthermore, the workshop was participated by health centers directors, technical assistants and nursing supervisors in the health centers assigned in the first phase of accreditation in the Eastern region, including health affairs directorates in the Eastern region, Al Hassa and Hafer AlBatin. In addition, representatives of the Infection Prevention and Control General Department and the Health Awareness Department, at the Ministry of Health, have also participated in order to exchange experiences and views among relevant departments.
The workshop included an explanation and analysis of the accreditation standards included in the activities and services of health centers, delivered through 23 programs, including general clinics, management information systems, patient safety, support services (such as laboratories and radiology centers), health facilities management and safety, rights and responsibilities of patients and their families, infectious and non-infectious diseases, oral and dental health and others.
In addition, a constellation of specialists in the field of quality and accreditation from the Central Board for Accreditation of Healthcare Institutions (CBAHI) and other related health sectors have participated in the workshop.
The Director-General of Health Centers, Dr. Essam bin Abdullah Al Ghamdi, stated that they are seeking, through such courses, to train workers in the field of primary health care and develop their knowledge and practice in order to implement accreditation standards in health centers. This is expected to contribute to providing high-quality health services, in a way that satisfies beneficiaries and service providers as well. This is to be brought about through introducing the group targeted by these programs with the concepts of the accreditation process and its importance in developing and improving provided health services, informing the trainees of the basic information concerning the basics of accreditation standards and their implementation requirements, in addition to introducing participants with the concepts of comprehensive quality, its elements, various dimensions and implementation mechanisms.
He added that the Health Centers General Department, in parallel with its keen interest in training primary health care workers, leaders and officials, It is equally interested in following the development of policies, procedures and manuals that are concerned with the programs and issues related to facilities accreditation standards. These policies, procedures and manuals will be fully prepared by specialists from health affairs directorates, where they will be checked step by step by the relevant departments participating in the training courses to ensure their compatibility with their programs.
Dr. Al Ghamdi stressed on the importance of applying the policies of the specified standards prepared by the health affairs directorates, by means of reviewing them by specialists from the accreditation programs. It is worth mentioning that primary health care departments supply health centers with the needed workforce and equipments and determine the required modifications to the facilities, in accordance with the specified standards, and in coordination with the Health Centers General Department.