In 2022, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) developed the National Quality Policy and Strategy (NQPS) and the National Healthcare facilities Quality Standards (HQS) to strengthen healthcare service quality in support of its overarching vision and mission. The objective of the Hospital Quality Standards (HQS) in Namibia is to enhance the quality and safety of healthcare services, ensuring consistent, effective, and patient-centered care delivery across all hospitals to improve overall health outcomes.
The World Health Organization (WHO) through the Government of Japan funded project aimed to increasing access to quality nutrition and protection services for vulnerable populations including women and children in Omaheke, Khomas and Kunene regions, supported the MoHSS Quality Assurance Division (QAD) to conduct a one-day sensitization meeting in Windhoek on 23 May 2024. The meeting presented updates on the implementation progress of NQPS and HQS to various national MoHSS directorates and gathered further support to address identified gaps. In 2023, HQS was implemented in ten hospitals from zero (26%) and implementation was extended to nine primary healthcare (PHC) facilities (3%) in 2024. This initiative aims to prepare these facilities for external accreditation by an international body in 2025, demonstrating significant progress in institutional healthcare quality.
The meeting key discussion points focused on the four strategic objectives: improving quality management systems, patient and healthcare worker safety, client-centered care, and clinical practices. Additionally, the progress made on the implementation of the Quality Healthcare Standards across ten selected hospitals was also shared.
The outcomes of the meeting were notably constructive, with key recommendations focusing on the sustainability of the quality improvement initiatives at national, regional and district level and the proposal to establish a dedicated QM Directorate within MoHSS. Moreover, participants emphasized on the importance of further engagement within the MoHSS to enhance the dissemination and facilitate support for ongoing Quality Improvement (QI) initiatives. Sharing these results with the directorates is crucial as it not only demonstrate the results of implementing HQS but also reinforces the collective commitment to achieving the MoHSS’ overall vision of being the leading provider of quality health care and social services according to international set standards
The meeting was attended by 15 participants from various MoHSS directorates and WHO.