Patient Safety Conference Kicks Off Today
Under the theme "Medication without Harm: Medication Safety", the Ministry of Health (MOH), represented by the Directorate General of Quality Assurance Center (DGQAC) in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) organized today (Monday) the National Patient Safety Conference at Oman Convention & Exhibition Center.
The Conference was inaugurated by H.E. Dr. Mohammed bin Saif Al-Hosni, MOH Undersecretary for Health Affairs. About 200 participants from all medical and para-medical categories attended the Conference.
The conference coincides with World Patient Safety Day, which falls on September 17 every year. It aims to raise global awareness of the significant burden of harm caused by medications due to making mistakes and unsafe therapeutic practices. It also calls for taking urgent actions to improve medication safety and involve the stockholders and key partners to prevent making medication mistakes and reduce the damages caused by them.
In addition, the Conference touched upon engaging patients and families in co-designing medication safety interventions successfully.
On this occasion, H.E. Dr. Ahmed bin Salim Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director, delivered a recorded speech during the Conference.
The Conference included a scientific exhibition on patient safety and medication safety. Around (15) authorities from various health sectors in the Sultanate participated in the exhibition.
A group of medical professionals from the Sultanate and abroad delivered lectures highlighting medication safety issues in order to promote this concept among the medical staff.
It is worth mentioning that the Patient Safety Conference came to mark the Fifth National & Forth World Patient Safety Day, which is convened annually. Therefore, MOH and DGQAC take this opportunity to raise the health workers' awareness, as well as the community members, of the importance of patient safety.
The Sultanate of Oman celebrates World Patient Safety Day by lighting several public landmarks, buildings, and health institutions in orange, as this color refers to the central role of patient safety in achieving universal health coverage worldwide.
