26 hospitals rank high in WHO standards

While hospital-caused diseases are on the rise globally, Oman’s 26 hospitals from both the public and private sectors are ranked high in Patient Safety Friendly Hospital (PSFH) initiative.

“This is an achievement that the Sultanate’s healthcare system can be proud of,” according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Patient Safety Friendly Hospital is an initiative undertaken by WHO in the region which aims at enhancing the visibility and implementation of patient safety practices in healthcare facilities and is setting new standards for other countries with good practice model to follow.

“We acknowledge the commendable efforts and the great commitment at the highest level that have led to the expansion of the Patient Safety Friendly Hospital initiative in the Sultanate.”

Observer had earlier reported that Health-care Acquired Infections (HCAI) are causing more deaths than road accidents across the world.

The WHO estimates that out of every 100 hospitalised patients, seven in developed and 10 in developing nations will acquire at least one HCAI.

Hundreds of millions of patients are affected by such infections, which claim millions of lives each year, according to experts.

Health care-associated infections or infections acquired while being treated at hospitals and healthcare facilities are one of the major challenges across the world.

Every year, millions of patients die or get injured because of unsafe and poor quality healthcare. Most of these deaths and injuries are avoidable.

Healthcare related adverse events are now estimated to be the 14th leading cause of death and injury globally.

There are an estimated 421 million hospitalisations in the world every year, and on an average, 1 in 10 of these results in some kind of adverse events. At least half of these adverse events can be prevented along with the associated financial and psychological consequences that are colossal and unaccounted for.