THE Ministry of Health and Social Services has launched the National Quality Management Policy and National Quality Management Strategic Plan to provide quality healthcare services.
The ministry has also developed the quality of care guiding documents to support healthcare facilities in providing quality healthcare services and institutionalise a culture of quality across the health system.
Hospital quality standards and primary facilities quality standards are among the quality policies that were launched in Windhoek on Monday.
Officiating at the launch, health and social services minister Kalumbi Shangula said the quality policies were developed to guide efforts by the ministry to achieve its vision of being the leading provider of quality healthcare and social services according to international standards.
“The quality policy and standards development was largely informed by the various quality of healthcare systems assessment and the World Health Organisation Handbook for National Quality Policy and Strategy,” he said.
Shangula also said the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for high-quality health services that are vital to the nation’s health security.
“Renewed focus on the quality of health services will position Namibia to respond effectively to this crisis, recover from it, and be better prepared for future public health threats and events,” said the minister.
The World Health Organisation representative to Namibia, Dr Charles Sagoe-Moses, said improvement in quality of health is essential for the strengthening of health systems.
“Defining national directions on quality is an increasing priority for many countries, as they strive to systematically improve the performance of their health- care systems,” Sagoe-Moses said.
He added that in low-and middle-income countries, mothers and children receive less than half of recommended clinical actions in a typical preventive or curative visit, and less than half of suspected cases of tuberculosis are correctly managed.
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