4 health facilities under CHAG record improved healthcare services

The Techiman Holy Family Hospital and three other health facilities under the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) have recorded improved healthcare delivery due to a partnership with SafeCare.

CHAG in September 2019 partnered Pharm Access Ghana to use the SafeCare standards and methodology to assess, rate, rectify and improve the benchmark quality amongst child health network facilities with ratings ranked from level one to five.

The SafeCare programme sought to develop healthcare providers by helping them measure, rate and improve their services using innovative solutions.

The four facilities among the CHAG healthcare facilities including the Techiman Holy Family Hospital have attained the SafeCare Level 4 rating.

According to the hospital administrator, Christopher Akanbobnaab, the decision to be part of the SafeCare programme has in diverse ways, contributed to improved health delivery in the area.

“This rating is a validation of the work we have put in place over the years as far as quality care and quality health service delivery is concerned in this hospital by the Board, the Management and the staff, so to be rated at level 4, we deem it a humbling honor and also a validation of the hard work of every individual within the Holy Family Hospital,” he said.

The SafeCare Healthcare Quality Standards were developed through collaborative work of PharmAccess Foundation with the Joint Commission International (JCI), and the Council for Health Service Accreditation of Southern Africa (COHSASA).

The standards are accredited by the International Society for Quality in Health Care External Evaluation Association (IEEA).

The programme has realised significant progress with 96% (311) of the active CHAG healthcare facilities across the nation assessed and rated with the SafeCare international standards for quality.

Mr. Christopher Akanbobnaab further noted that the facility is not relenting on its efforts as more is being done to help attain a level 5 rating in the years ahead.

“As I indicated, the Board, the Management and the staff have been on the path of quality improvement for a long time. On this path we remain to sustain the gains we have made, but more importantly now that we know the gaps that have been identified for improvement, we’ll work hard on them so that we attain level 5, sustain it and if there are anymore, to do more for our patients”.

Senior Specialist Paediatrician in Charge of the Paediatric Ward, Dr. Jacqueline Gyapomaa Assibey on her part noted that the programme contributed immensely in helping improve general health care across the ward.

“It has really helped a lot because interestingly, when you are working in a system, it’s very difficult to see where the gaps or loopholes are, but when others come and they pinpoint to you, it becomes clearer and with that if you work on it, the system becomes better”, she added.

Emergency in charge nurse at the facility, Henkel Oppong Kyekyeku said the SafeCare program has for the past year helped shape the unit’s service to patients.

“To be specific, they thought us about developing checklists to make sure we are well organized for our emergencies and they also thought us about assignment of duties when a nurse is assigned that you are responsible for these group of patients and that helped Coordinating orderliness and accountability so SafeCare has been helpful and we hope to continue with our relationship”.

The primary goal of the SafeCare programme is to inspire the improvement of quality and safety in healthcare delivery through innovative approaches such as the use of digital solutions.

This is achieved through three core values of transparency, collaboration, and building value.

In the last decade, SafeCare shares results, stories, and learnt lessons, and provides real-time data on the scale, scope, and quality of services, all in the bid to improve the quality and safety of healthcare delivery.

By collaborating through global and national partnerships, SafeCare intends to create the greatest possible impact with minimal resources.