The Khorfakkan Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Prevention, MoHAP, has obtained the international health accreditation from the Joint Commission International, JCI. With this achievement, the UAE maintains the lead globally in the number of internationally accredited health facilities.

"A vigorous hybrid assessment process was conducted by an expert team, including field visits to the hospital to assess the health services provided in accordance with the international requirements and standards. Also, another assessment was conducted remotely from the USA using cutting-edge audio-visual devices", MoHAP said in a statement.

Commenting on the achievement, Dr. Youssif Al Serkal, Director-General of the Emirates Health Services Corporation, said, "This accreditation strengthens the gains of the health sector, reinforces the competitiveness of the country’s health facilities, and reaffirms the international confidence in the health services in the UAE which is committed to implementing requirements of clinical quality, hospital governance, and innovation in health information data."

Lauding the relentless efforts and distinctive performance of the hospital staff, Al Serkal underlined that this achievement motivates MoHAP to move toward to the accreditation of all health facilities in 2021, thanks to the unlimited support of the wise leadership and the abundance of resources to establish an effective and sustainable health system.

In turn, Dr. Kalthoum Al Baloushi, Director of MoHAP’s Hospitals Administration, reaffirmed that MoHAP’s hospitals remain committed to applying the highest internationally approved practices in terms of the clinical quality, patient safety, and competence of the medical and administrative staff.

The JCI standards for the accreditation of health facilities include 14 main standards branched out to sub-criteria covering all health services. This includes patient safety, access to hospitals and accident departments, standards for patient assessment and diagnosis, treatment plan development and drug management, as well as standards for patient rights and education.

It also includes standards of senior management and responsibilities, infection control, quality and continuous improvement, human resources standards, employee evaluation, the safety of health facilities and medical devices, and standards for medical records management and health information.