THE
health-care system in the Philippines is considered generally to meet
global standards, with hospitals and other medical centers in the
country able to pass accreditation tests given by international
organizations.
Four
Philippine hospitals have been cited by Joint Commission International
(JCI) for rendering the best service to Filipino patients. They are
Makati Medical Center, The Medical City in Pasig City, St. Luke’s
Medical Center (SLMC) in Quezon City and Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu.
The honor is a
recognition of the caliber of hospital staff in the Philippines, with
Filipino medical practitioners being graduates from top universities in
the country and many of them having also studied in medical schools in
the United States. Some of these US-educated doctors had practiced
medicine in America before returning to their native country. Filipino
nurses, meanwhile, are internationally competitive, with thousands of
them working in many hospitals in foreign countries.
The
JCI is a medical commission that helps international health-care
organizations, public-health agencies and health ministries evaluate,
improve and demonstrate the quality of patient care while at the same
time accommodating specific legal, religious and cultural factors in a
particular country. It has been accrediting health-care organizations
since 1999 and, since then, have accredited approximately 450 public and
private health-care organizations in 50 countries.
Its accreditation and certification process is acknowledged by
many medical organizations as essential in ensuring a safe environment
for their patients, staff and visitors. The JCI Accreditation and
Certification procedure is seen as a platform to consider when choosing a
hospital or a medical center.
Accreditation
Hospital
accreditation is a major factor that should be considered by a patient
in picking a medical institution that will provide medical care to him.
It is defined by R. Rawlins (R. Rawlins, BMJ. 2001 March 17;
322(7287):674) as a public recognition by a national or international
health-care accreditation body of the achievement of accreditation
standards by a health-care organization, demonstrated through an
independent external peer assessment of that organization’s level of
performance in relation to the standards. This means that an institution
accredited by a credible accreditation body possesses high standards of
health-care service and patient care that add up to the reliability of
the institution.
“The
demand for quality in delivering health-care services has continuously
risen throughout the years. Both national and international
accreditation bodies have initiated quality assurance mechanisms for
patients to have access to better health-care services,” Dr. Benjamin N.
Alimurung, medical director of Makati Medical Center, said.
“The
level of confidence and trust of patients in a hospital increases
through accreditation, especially by the JCI, since it ensures that the
accredited hospital not only performs evidence-based practices but also
gives importance to efficiency, quality and effectiveness of health-care
delivery and ensures a safe environment for the patients, staff and
visitors. It would establish excellence in the delivery of health care
and promote continuous quality improvement,” he added.
Makati
Medical Center acquired accreditation and certification from JCI in
January this year. Alimurung said the center had conducted activities on
education and understanding of standards and intent of the standards.
Elements of each standard were measured to prepare the hospital for the
accreditation process.
“The
management made sure that everybody participated in these activities.
JCI standards were cascaded from the top management down to frontliners
through lectures and educational materials. The activities were kept
interesting as well as informative [through] inter-department games and
weekly puzzles to encourage and maintain enthusiasm throughout the
hospital,” he added.
These
preparations by the top management and the frontliners of the hospital
earned them the JCI accreditation, which is based on the latest Joint
Commission International Accreditation Standards for Hospitals 4th
Edition. Though this accreditation improved the already high standards
that Makati Medical Center has been known for, Alimurung said the
biggest beneficiary would be the patients since they are the ones being
served by medical staff with clinical excellence in mind.
“It
[JCI accreditation] assures the patients and their families of their
involvement in the health-care process as partners. It is an opportunity
for the hospital to benchmark with the best hospitals in the world
granted with the same level of recognition.”
Makati
Medical Center is only one of the four accredited and certified by JCI
in the Philippines together with SLMC, which was accredited by the
commission in 2003, affirming that the hospital meets the highest standards for patient care and organizational management.
SLMC has been surpassing expectations in medical excellence for over a century now, proving
that its health and patient-care standards have become world-class.
With astounding success anchored on five pillars of expertise-expert
doctors, state-of-the-art technology, guaranteed patient safety,
excellent success rate and passionate customer service, SLMC was the
first hospital in the country to be accredited by the JCI.
Now
with a new hospital building in Fort Bonifacio Global City, St. Luke’s
is expected to reach a larger number of Filipinos who needs medical
assistance. With its mission to provide outstanding outpatient care,
SLMC is reputedly now the most admired hospital in the Philippines and
an acknowledged leader in Asia.
Another
JCI-accredited hospital in the country is The Medical City in Pasig
City, a private, tertiary-care hospital, which offers impressive
facilities as staging areas for the delivery of its cutting-edge health
services. The hospital was first accredited by JCI in 2006 for
maintaining the highest international standards of quality for
health-care organizations.
It
was reaccredited by the commission in 2009 and is continuing to provide
the best patient care through its distinguished medical staff of 1,100
physicians, all of whom are experienced and recognized experts in their
various fields of specialization.
Chong
Hua Hospital in Cebu City also takes pride in being an accredited
medical institution by JCI. Its patient-focused concept earned it the
accreditation from the commission. Chong Hua Hospital tailors its
patient care to the needs of every patient. It was the third medical
institution accredited by JCI in 2009 after The Medical City in 2006.
In Photo: Medical institutions in the Philippines improve patient care through advance medical technology.
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