New international accreditation received by the Al Qassimi Hospital's Bariatric Surgery Center from the Surgical Evaluation Corporation

The Ministry of Health and Prevention, MoHAP, revealed that the Bariatric Surgery Center at Al Qassimi Hospital has obtained the accreditation as a Center of Excellence in the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery from the Surgical Evaluation Corporation (SRC), a leading international institution for review and accreditation of hospitals and surgical departments as centers of excellence.

This comes as part of MoHAP’s strenuous efforts to implement the national indicator standards related to the rate of accredited health facilities and to achieve its strategy aiming to foster quality systems, therapeutic, health and drug safety as per international standards.

Commending the Center’s accreditation by a long-established international corporation, H.E. Dr. Youssif Al Serkal, Assistant Undersecretary for the Ministry’s Hospitals Sector, underlined that sustainable quality is the best way towards health services simulating the future and reinforces the health system efficiency in accordance with the National Agenda objectives 2021.

Al Qassimi Hospital Efficiency

Hailing the efforts exerted by Al Qassimi Hospital, Al Serkal pointed out that the Hospital is one of the leading medical facilities that provide general and sophisticated specialties efficiently, most notably the health services quality, the medical moral standards, and the best-approved practices.

“MoHAP has several accreditation-related programs and plans for all its medical facilities by enhancing innovation in services and applying the best internationally approved standards and protocols,” he noted.

He added: “The accreditation of the Bariatric Surgery Center emphasizes the success of MoHAP’s plans in terms of establishing and developing specialized excellence centers, not only that but rehabilitating those centers to obtain the accreditation from international institutions in providing specialized medical services in accordance with the best international practices.”

This achievement also reaffirms the local and international confidence in the qualitative healthcare services provided by MoHAP as per the international accreditation standards, thus strengthens medical tourism in the country.

Implementing International Quality Standards

While praising the Bariatric Surgery Center on this international accreditation, Dr. Kalthoum Al Baloushi, Director of MoHAP’s Hospitals Administration, underlined that MoHAP is keen on implementing the best standards of medical and administrative quality in its all facilities, urging the technical staff to be constantly committed to the healthcare services standards for the benefit of patients.

This is part of MoHAP’s strategy to foster healthcare services in the country in accordance with the highest international levels as stated in the National Agenda 2021.

In order to receive this accreditation as a Center of Excellence in the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, the Bariatric Surgery Center at Al Qassimi Hospital has successfully passed the multistage evaluation process in accordance with the SRC’s standards.

Standards of Accreditation

“The accreditation standards include primary and subsidiary factors and indicators. This includes the number of surgical protocols, certified experiences, efficiency indicators among surgery and nursing staff, and medical safety, especially in the post-surgery stage and its impacts on the patient’s physical and psychological status,” Al Baloushi explained.

She stressed MoHAP’s keenness on providing the best surgical and therapeutic services, as well as developing the quality of hospital services and the experiences of its medical cadres to achieve a unique experience for patients.

In 2018, the number of bariatric surgeries at MoHAP’s hospitals reached 796 surgeries, while the total surgeries performed until the third quarter of the year 2019 were 594 surgeries.

An Electronic Care Unit for Bariatric Surgery Patients

Al Baloushi highlighted the project of the Electronic Care Unit for bariatric surgery patients which was launched in April 2019, noting that work is underway to circulate the electronic unit to the remaining hospitals by the first quarter of 2020.

The electronic unity aims to automate patients' journey before, during and after surgery to ensure the provision of world-class medical services, and to regularly follow up with patients every two years following the surgery to prevent post-surgery complications.

“Moreover, the Electronic Care Unit project aims to provide continuing education programs in bariatric surgery for medical staff and patients, conduct clinical research studies to provide premium health services, create a database for bariatric surgery patients, and measure the clinical performance indicators,” she said.

Also, a center of excellence for bariatric surgery patients will be established to accommodate complex cases of all ages and re-operation cases in accordance with the internationally approved therapeutic standards and protocols.

-Ends-

© Press Release 2019