Hospitals honored for services

Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah honored a number of hospitals that have rendered outstanding services in compliance with their affiliation with the US-based Joint Commission International (JCI) for the adoption of health facilities.
The JCI accredited hospitals that were honored included King Khalid Eye Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, Saud Babtain Cardiac Center in Dammam, King Fahd Specialist Hospital in Dammam, King Fahd Medical City in Riyadh, Ajyad Hospital in Makkah, Hira General Hospital in Makkah, King Abdulaziz Hospital in Taif, King Saud Hospital in Unaizah and King Fahd Hospital in Jeddah.
Speaking during the ceremony held in the capital yesterday, Al-Rabeeah thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Naif, deputy premier and interior minister, for their constant support in delivering the best health care services to the nation.
He pointed out that these hospitals have practiced in accordance with the standards set out by the JCI and have been upholding the 'Patients First' motto advocated by the Ministry of Health.
Aside from the above mentioned hospitals, six more hospitals will be accredited to the JCI during the course of the year, he said. They are the King Abdulaziz Hospital in Jeddah, King Khaled Hospital in Najran, King Saud Medical City in Riyadh, King Fahd Hospital in Al-Baha, the King Fahd Hospital in Hofuf and the General Hospital in Asir.
The JCI has been working with health care organizations, ministries of health, and global organizations in over 80 countries since 1994. The JCI focus is to improve the safety of patient care through the provision of accreditation and certification services as well as through advisory and educational services aimed at helping organizations implement practical and sustainable solutions.
It has been accrediting health care organizations since 1999, and in 2009 marked the tenth anniversary of the first hospital accredited by JCI, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, a private, nonprofit, nongovernmental facility in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Since then, approximately 450 public and private health care organizations in 50 countries have been accredited or certified by JCI. It provides accreditation for hospitals, ambulatory care facilities, clinical laboratories, care continuum services, home care and long-term care organizations, medical transport organizations, and primary care services, as well as certification for 15 types of clinical care programs.

JCI standards were developed by international health care experts and set uniform, achievable expectations.
The minister explained that the hospitals honored yesterday had been working hard to comply with the requirements of the JCI to maintain global standards in the field of health care.
During his brief speech, WHO Resident Representative in the Kingdom Mustaffa Tayaan said that the ministry's efforts to improve medical services had greatly contributed to preventing the spread of communicable and noncommunicable diseases in the Kingdom. The mandatory insurance scheme introduced by the state had helped the Kingdom in maintaining a healthy society, he added.