The Emirates Health Services (EHS) organized a webinar on patient safety titled 'Safe maternal and newborn care.
The webinar touched on ways to enhance the quality of health care provided to mothers and newborns in hospitals and health centers of the EHS.
The webinar was attended by representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), a number of doctors and specialists, and a number of EHS employees.
It highlighted the most prominent global practices related to the safety of mothers and newborns, especially during childbirth and the use of effective and innovative strategies to improve maternal and newborn safety, ensure safe maternal and newborn care, foster the safe use of medical devices during childbirth, and strengthen the capacity and support of health workers.
During the webinar, the participants agreed to adopt the WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist initiative at the EHS's health facilities. The initiative aims to protect mothers and newborns from the risks and harms that can be avoided during childbirth.
Patient safety is a priority
HE Dr. Yousef Mohammed Al Serkal, Director-General, EHS, said that the EHS is keen to launch events and programs aimed at promoting patient safety concepts and embracing international best practices that contribute to improving patient safety.
Al Serkal pointed out that the webinar falls within the EHS's ongoing efforts to raise awareness about the safety of mothers and newborns during childbirth and provide excellent and safe care in the presence of qualified health professionals working in supportive environments.
The EHS Director-General underlined that the EHS works hand in hand with all partners to adopting comprehensive health and community programs, in order to provide comprehensive and innovative healthcare to prevent diseases and enhance health care.
Pioneering efforts
Al Serkal continued to say that the UAE is one of the leading countries in implementing patient safety standards, through patient-centered national initiatives, health programs, and projects.
He explained that the EHS has recently launched a smart system for risk management and patient safety, which aims to improve healthcare quality programs. The new platform provides a complete vision, within a secure cloud environment with strong information management controls.
This comes as part of the EHS's endeavors to keep pace with modern technology and digital health systems, embrace evidence-based strategies to ensure the transparency of hospitals’ work, focus on improving patient safety and apply policies and legislation regulating patient rights, he said.
The EHS also organized a number of events to celebrate World Patient Safety Day, the most important of which was lighting up the Dubai Frame in orange color, with the aim to raise community awareness about the importance of patient safety.
Moreover, a number of awareness programs were also held from 12-16 September at the EHS's health facilities in order to raise target groups' awareness about the importance of this global occasion, intensify participation in the safety of health care, and promote global measures to improve patient safety and reduce harm.