Leading healthcare organizations, representing more than 2,600 professionals from Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) signed a Patient Safety Pledge [www.dhcr.gov.ae/en/patient-safety-pledge-2019] in partnership with the global non-profit Patient Safety Movement Foundation (PSMF) on World Health Day, a World Health Organization (WHO) observance.

Through the pledge initiative, supported by non-profit organization Emirates Medical Association (EMA), DHCC calls on healthcare organizations and professionals in the free zone, and the wider UAE to commit to patient safety and implement the appropriate Actionable Patient Safety Solutions (APSS) developed by PSMF.

In doing so, DHCC has responded to WHO’s call to action to improve the quality and safety of health services globally. In addition, DHCC has strengthened its long-standing partnership with PSMF, building on a cooperation agreement signed earlier this year to launch a national patient safety pledge.

Elaborating on the mechanism to take DHCC’s Patient Safety Pledge, Dr. Ramadan AlBlooshi, Chief Regulatory Officer at Dubai Healthcare City Authority – Regulatory, explained, that once a healthcare professional takes the digital pledge, PSMF will get in touch with the professional to encourage him/her to proceed with PSMF formal commitment on its website patientsafetymovement.org; identify patient safety challenges in their clinical environment; and benefit from free, evidence-based Actionable Patient Safety Solutions developed by PSMF. 

Dr AlBlooshi said, “We are not only improving a culture of safety, we are working towards sustained efforts towards patient safety by encouraging applied best practices to be presented at the Dubai Healthcare City Best Practice Conference 2019, and giving the presenting organizations an opportunity to share their commitment on-stage as well at the PSMF’s Annual World Patient Safety, Science and Technology Summit.” 

At the pledge ceremony, leading healthcare organizations in DHCC including Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital, Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Hospital, Emirates Specialty Hospital, and Mediclinic City Hospital, signed the pledge, representing more than 2,600 healthcare professionals. In addition, around 60 professionals took the pledge in the presence of senior officials from Dubai Healthcare City Authority (DHCA), Dr. Mouza Al Sharhan, President of the Emirates Medical Association.  

Dr.  Al Sharhan said, “The Emirates Medical Association is pleased to extend its support to the DHCC Patient Safety Pledge initiative. Our collaboration will encourage a wider network of physicians and allied health professionals in the UAE to demonstrate their commitment towards eliminating preventable patient deaths, and improving patient safety.”

Dr. David Mayer, Chief Executive Officer of PSMF said, “We are excited about DHCA’s current collaboration with the Emirates Medical Association to encourage hospitals in the UAE take the Patient Safety Pledge and implement all 18 Actionable Patient Safety Solutions (APSS). One death to a preventable error is one too many. Partnerships like these are critical to our mission of eliminating preventable patient deaths in hospitals by the year 2020.”

For more information about DHCC’s partnership with PSMF, visit [www.dhcr.gov.ae/en/partnerships/patient-safety-movement-foundation#PledgeBtn].