The Ministry of Health (MoH) has announced that September will be observed as an annual national awareness month for patient safety in the sultanate. A number of programmes and activities targeting all health workers and community members will be organised throughout the month.

According to the ministry, Oman is considered one of the advanced countries in the field of patient safety and is always working to develop standards and practices related to the field.

Dr Qamra al Sariri, director general of Quality Assurance Centre, MoH, said that the sultanate, represented by the ministry, will participate in the celebration of the World Patient Safety Day, which falls on September 17 each year. This year’s World Patient Safety Day is dedicated to the need to prioritise and address safety in maternal and newborn care, particularly around the time of childbirth, when most harm occurs.

Dr Qamra added that the celebration of this day in the sultanate will highlight the national achievements in the field of patient safety and exchange of knowledge.

She pointed out that the inauguration of the World Patient Safety Day by the World Health Organization in 2019 has come to enhance the global

understanding of patient safety, increase community involvement in safe healthcare, and reduce the harm that may be caused to patients.

Dr Qamra said that Oman has played an active role in the establishment of dedicated national day for patient safety in the Easter Mediterranean Region (EMR). During the Patient Safety Global Ministerial Summit in 2016, Oman proposed to dedicate a national day for patient safety.

“Given Oman’s trustworthy reputation among international organisations, particularly the WHO, it was recommended for launching the EMR Patient Safety

Day initiative, approved by the WHO during a meeting in Geneva, May 2019. This demonstrates the Directorate General for Quality Assurance Centre’s (DGQAC) commitment to carry out its responsibilities to join in the development of the health services system in line with the future vision,” she said.

Dr Qamra confirmed that the ministry, represented by the DGQAC, is striving to spread awareness about the concept of patient safety and how to use

international standards to achieve this concept and apply all means leading to its continuity in line with the requirements of quality assurance and control systems.

She believed that patient safety is the cornerstone of building an effective health system, indicating that the ultimate goal of health care is ‘providing an integrated medical service’.

“Patient safety is a serious public health issue worldwide, and there is a growing recognition that patient safety and the quality of their care constitute a very important dimension of universal health coverage.”