Doha, Qatar: Dr Ghanim Ali Al Mannai, Assistant Undersecretary for Healthcare Regulatory Affairs at the Ministry of Public Health, on Sunday inaugurated the 11th Qatar Patient Safety Week (QPSW) Conference, organised by the Ministry under the theme: “360° Quality Care: Advancing Safety Through Systemic Change".
The three-day conference brings together more than 3,000 professionals from the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), healthcare sector institutions, academia and relevant partners, with a distinguished group of local and international experts speaking at the conference.
Dr Ghanim Ali Al Mannai affirmed that the conference reflects the shared commitment to strengthening the concept of quality and safety across the entire healthcare system, supporting the achievement of health strategies aimed at improving the health and well-being of our community and excelling in service delivery and patient experiences.
In his opening address, Dr Ghanim Al Mannai said, “The participation of this distinguished group of experts and specialists in the conference underscores our shared responsibility and unwavering commitment to ensuring the highest standards of safety and quality through active collaboration and partnership from all stakeholders, including officials, policy makers and healthcare professionals, together with the vital role of patients and their families."
Dr Al Mannai added, “Through our strategic approach of 'Health in All Policies', we ensure that efforts across all sectors are aligned to bring about continuous improvement in community health."
Dr Al Mannai further explained that this year's theme, “360° Quality Care: Advancing Safety Through Systemic Change", highlights the Ministry's and its partners' commitment to adopting a holistic approach in improving healthcare quality and patient safety. The focus is on innovation and harnessing the latest and best technologies in healthcare to secure better health outcomes for all. He noted that the strong momentum enjoyed by Qatar Patient Safety Week since its launch in 2014 demonstrates the commitment of all partners within this inspiring initiative to achieving excellence in delivering safe and high-quality healthcare.
The Assistant Undersecretary for Healthcare Regulatory Affairs at the Ministry of Public Health stressed the Ministry's dedication to developing and implementing national policies and strategies for healthcare quality and patient safety. This includes medication safety, reporting of medical errors, infection prevention and control, in accordance with international best practices. He pointed out that the Ministry is leading the national plan to combat antimicrobial resistance, while working to raise awareness and build capacity through training programmes and national events. These efforts contribute to strengthening the quality and safety of healthcare services for all members of the community.
The conference aims to foster and spread a culture of healthcare quality and patient safety at the national level, by encouraging dialogue among leaders and decision-makers in the health sector to develop safety-enhancing policies and legislation, raising awareness about the importance of quality and safety, strengthening communication between patients, providers, and policymakers, and exchanging expertise and best practices with local, regional, and international experts.
The conference also seeks to address current challenges, propose innovative and practical solutions, strengthen community participation and patient empowerment, spread a culture of learning from errors and incidents, and support and encourage scientific research in this field.
Professor Jason Leitch, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) in the United States of America, delivered the conference's first keynote address, stating, “The healthcare system in Qatar is one of the world's leading systems in its efforts to provide safe and effective care for its people. There is much to be learned from the Qatari experience, and it has always been open to international expertise."
Professor Leitch emphasised the great importance of four key transformations essential for building resilient health systems that can adapt to today's challenges. These include digital transformation, community health, educating the healthcare workforce, and fostering compassion in care delivery. He illustrated these with models from Scotland and several other countries.
Through workshops and specialised sessions, the conference reviewed a number of important themes, most notably strategies for the systematic development of quality and safety systems, leadership and governance in healthcare quality and patient safety, partnership with patients and care providers, digital solutions and innovation in quality improvement, and learning from incidents and continuous improvement. These discussions featured local, regional and international speakers, along with distinguished contributions from patients.
A portion of the conference was dedicated to discussing the importance of the safety and quality of healthcare in fragile, conflict-affected and at-risk environments. This reflects Qatar's commitment to global health issues, particularly as the Eastern Mediterranean region includes countries experiencing such conditions.
Patient Safety Week is an annual national event launched by the Ministry of Public Health to promote the concept of healthcare quality and patient safety among all categories of healthcare professionals and service users, and to strengthen sustainable collaboration between the Ministry, healthcare providers and patients to ensure safer healthcare in Qatar.
