Meatco clinic recently joined the PharmAccess Foundation’s SafeCare program to provide employees with quality services.

A SafeCare facilitation visit was held on 24 May 2016. Pictured is Meatco Windhoek staff with Wilet Pothas (SafeCare Snr Assesor and Asia Hoko (SafeCare Assesor).

SafeCare has introduced basic standards to provide public and private health facilities with independent quality assessments. These standards are designed to help bring healthcare quality and patient safety to new levels.

The SafeCare standards are accredited by the International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua), the global leader in healthcare quality that “accredits the accreditors”. By using the SafeCare standards as the basis to improve quality methodology, Meatco Clinic staff is empowered to deliver quality health services and facilitate ongoing quality improvement to ensure the safety of the Clinic’s patients.

In September 2015, the first assessment audit was conducted at the Meatco Clinic in Windhoek, scoring 45/100. The average score for facilities in the SafeCare program in Namibia is 46/100 at the moment, and this includes all facilities ranging in size from health shops to district hospitals.

Thus, the Meatco Clinic obtained a level one certificate that is the starting level for the program. An assessment report was sent that details the findings and actions that need to be implemented. Subsequently a quality improvement plan was also sent through in December 2015, and all the actions need to be completed by November 2016.

So far, Meatco has had two facilitation visits from SafeCare team members, one in February and the second in May.