The International Medical Center (IMC) has won the National Patient Safety Award for 2020 in the category of Healthcare Institutions, a prize focused on efforts to keep patients safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At a ceremony held in Riyadh for the special edition of the award by the Saudi Patient Safety Center, Dr. Walid Fitaihi, chairman and CEO of IMC, received the honors. IMC submitted several programs to compete at the national level and the center’s project was judged the best of the seven major award-winning hospitals.
A number of IMC departments participated in the project based on the role and efforts of each department in maintaining the safety of patients during the pandemic. These include the Department of Infectious Diseases, Department of Operation and Maintenance, Medical Department, Nursing Department, Quality Department, Intensive Care Department, and Emergency Department.
“IMC’s win is a credible testimony of the strength and effectiveness of patient safety measures taken by the center, which have enhanced patients’ confidence when visiting IMC during COVID-19 to receive all kinds of treatments and undergo surgeries as usual, without hesitation or fear of COVID-19, as patients know that their safety is the highest priority before receiving any treatment,” a statement said.
The National Patient Safety Award is an initiative by the Saudi Patient Safety Center, launched as a national platform to highlight the efforts and achievements in patient safety in the Kingdom and assess the current state of hospitals and the proactive preparations to prevent the chances of failure in combating COVID-19.
The award also aims to highlight innovations in patient safety that can be disseminated in the field of healthcare and the community as well as minimize avoidable harm in the healthcare system.
