The Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority Dr. Mrs. Yaa Pokua Baiden, has lauded the work of PharmAccess’ SafeCare, HeFRA, and CHAG for promoting the adoption of quality improvement standards in healthcare delivery in Ghana.

Speaking as the Chairperson at the SafeCare Quality Awards 2023, Dr Baiden, who is in charge of Administration and Human Resources at the NHIA, emphasised the critical significance of SafeCare standards and assessment methodology in building trust among stakeholders and establishing a foundation for countrywide-led quality monitoring systems.

She highlighted how SafeCare's approach to quality improvement has been instrumental in transforming Ghana's healthcare landscape and aligns perfectly with the country's goal of achieving universal healthcare coverage.

Dr. Baiden said, “Using SafeCare standards and quality improvement methodology in Ghana, quality healthcare improvements should be enjoyed by patients in a manner that meets the highest possible standards of safety, effectiveness, timeliness, equity, and efficiency.”

She said it is important for the partners to be rewarding the hard-working results-oriented individuals and performing facilities who have become pacesetters and trailblazers of the quality improvement journey using SafeCare in driving patient-centric quality health care.

The Executive Director of CHAG, Dr. Peter Yeboah emphasized the need for quality standards in the health delivery system. He said the SafeCare programme has enabled CHAG to measure, rate, and rank the over three hundred and thirty facilities under CHAG.

Dr Peter Yeboah said, 91 per cent of all CHAG facilities assessed by SafeCare have recorded performance improvement since 2020.

He said, during the baseline assessment in 2020, only four facilities out of the 330 had reached Level 4 of the SafeCare quality rating.

However, following the rigorous assessment and QI facilitation performed and supported by the internationally certified SafeCare assessors, 38 of the CHAG facilities have currently attained SafeCare Level 4.

“This means that for everyone who reports to any of these 38 CHAG facilities, the level of care received will be as good as any person receiving care in any SafeCare level 4 certified facility in any part of the world,” Dr Peter Yeboah explained.

He added that 99 CHAG facilities initially rated at Level 1 have progressed to Levels 2 or 3 in the past three years of embarking on the quality improvement program.

Dr Peter Yeboah said SafeCare is transforming the entire health system in Ghana because it aligns perfectly with the country’s roadmap toward achieving universal healthcare tenets.

In all, eight healthcare facilities and organisations that have made remarkable progress in establishing and implementing systems and processes towards improvement were awarded along with seven individuals who are dedicated to promoting and facilitating quality improvement in various healthcare facilities networks in Ghana. 

The Deputy Executive Director for CHAG Dr James Duah was honoured as the SafeCare Personality of the Year 2021-2023.

The Most Dedicated Assessor in CHAG 2021-2023 award was received by Emmanuel Addo. The SafeCare Innovation for QI Award 2021-2023 and the Highest QPP Promoter 2021-2023 awards went to Edwin Mensah Agbeko.

The Best Performing Assessor in CHAG 2021-2023 was won by Dr Anita Appiah, while the SafeCare Loyalty Award 2021-2023 went to Mary Konneh-Archer.

The Outstanding Assessor in all the SafeCare network 2021-2023 prizes was picked by Valentina Naa Deisa Thompson.

In the facilities category, the Most Improved Clinics and Health Centres @ SafeCare Level 3 recognition was given to E.P. Church Clinic, Wapuli.

While the Rev. Walker Medical Mission Hospital won the Most Improved Primary Hospital @ SafeCare Level 4 for 2021-2023.

The Most Improved Large Primary Hospital / Secondary Hospital @ SafeCare Level 4 awards for the years under review went to St. Elizabeth Hospital, Hwidiem.

Also, the Global Evangelic Mission Hospital, Apromoase, won the Most Frequent QPP User (2021-2023) award. The Most Consistent QPP User (2021-2023) award was won by St Theresa's Hospital, Nandom.

The Sanford World Clinic, Ghana also received the award for the most improved private health network and the Ghana Adventist Health Services won the SafeCare QI institutionalization Award (2021-2023) and lastly, the CHAG Shining Example Award for the period was won by E.P. Church Clinic, Dzemeni.

In his welcome remarks, the Country Director for PharmAccess Ghana, Dr. Maxwell Akwasi Antwi said every year, more than 100 million patients receive care in health facilities certified by SafeCare globally.

Highlighting the dangers of low quality of care, Dr Maxwell Antwi presented some worrying data about quality healthcare especially in low to middle-income countries.

He said, “Almost 5.7 to 8.4 million people die every year as a result of poor quality of care in low to middle-income countries like Ghana. Poor quality of care kills more people than the lack of access to health care he emphasised.”

According to him, poor quality of care killed more people in one year, than the Covid-19 pandemic did in three years. He explained, “Covid killed about 7 million people in three years, but the poor quality of care kills about the same number of people every year.”