Dubai: All major government hospitals will undergo rigorous checks to comply with international standards to improve services and reduce patient risk, said Dr Hanif Hassan, Minister of Health.
He said while the medical institutions in the country are comparable to those in the developed world, accrediting them will not only raise the quality of health care but also attract international investors in the fast-growing sector.
The minister signed a contract with the Chicago-based Mihalik Group, which won the contract for the accreditation process.
Dr Gary Mihalik, president of the group, said it has been found that the accreditation process helps to reduce health care costs, improve efficiency of services and strengthen public confidence in the quality of health care.
In all 14 Ministry of Health hospitals, 10 preventive medicine centres, 16 primary health care centres, a nursing school, a blood bank and two dental centres will undergo the accreditation process, initially starting with the outpatient clinics.
Roisin Boland, CEO of ISQua (International Society for Quality in Health Care), said the society will oversee the process. "A safe system saves lives," she said.
