The WHO Representative at the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Mustafa Tayan, has emphasized that obtaining the Accreditation of the Joint International Commission (JCI) comes within the framework of the MOH's pursuit towards the enactment of the Comprehensive and Integrated Healthcare Strategy, which is a completely patient-centered strategy seeking to put into effect the MOH slogan: “Patient First!”
In his address before the ceremony held to honor the JCI-accredited hospitals, Dr. Tayan said, “The World Health Organization (WHO) cannot but appreciated the strenuous efforts exerted by the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH), which promote and conform to the WHO's keen interest in the activation of the Patient Safety Program. Statistics and studies show that patients suffering from accidents associated to the provision of healthcare services at a given health facility make up 4-16% of the patients receiving treatment at that facility. Speaking at the global scale, for example, about 234 million critical surgeries are performed every year; a significant proportion of these cases could be treated depending on simple therapeutic measures (such as the surgical safety checklist), or the frequent hand-wash by health workers.”
Dr. Tayan added, “It goes without saying that the MOH's adoption of quality promotion programs at its facilities is reckoned one of the significant methods of the minimization and prevention of the complications and defects caused by medical intervention at health facilities, and helps institutionalize and humanize the health services provided for the Kingdom's citizens and patients. Besides, it prompts and enhances the principle of positive competition among health facilities, seeking to attain the highest levels of quality, to be useful for all service beneficiaries.”
“While celebrating this terrific health incident,” Dr. Tayan continued, “we would like to shed more light on the Kingdom's overall level of health services. Actually, the joint delegations assigned to oversee the level of the Kingdom's health services, over the past few weeks, were very impressed by the excellent services provided primary healthcare centers.”
At the end, Dr. Tayan's notice to extend his sincere congratulations for His Excellency the Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, as well as the directors and officials of the JCI-accredited hospitals. This has been always one of the top priorities of the Government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, which has been always placing particular emphasis on the human element, by investing in the field of healthcare, basically dependent on the establishment and development of human resources. As his address drew to a close, Dr. Mustafa Tayan wished continued success for this promising program, sho that this program would be one of the hallmarks of healthcare in the entire region.
It should be noted that His Excellency the Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, has honored a number of the hospitals which got to obtain the JCI Accreditation; which is the world's number-one accreditation of health institutions. This accreditation comes as the culmination of the substantial achievements accomplished at these hospitals over the past twelve months. Such achievements manifested themselves in the improvement of health services, and conformity to international patient-safety standards. In doing so, the JCI-accredited hospitals has been proceeding from the MOH's vision, mission and objectives; thus putting into action the MOH's slogan: “Patient First!” These hospitals are: King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital (Riyadh), Saud Al-Babtain Cardiac Center (Dammam), King Fahad Specialist Hospital (Dammam), King Fahad Medical City (Riyadh), Ajyad Emergency Hospital (Makkah), Heraa General Hospital (Makkah), King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital (Taif), King Saud Hospital (Unaizah), and King Fahad Hospital (Jeddah).