Kenya's progress towards quality healthcare

By Robert Mutasi

Since the Ministry of Health's ISO 7101:2023 standard, an international standard for medical care quality management, was approved, the Kenyan health sector has advanced significantly.

This is a daring move that will have long-term effects on the nation's medical care system; it is not an administrative act. So what happens when Kenya implements the ISO 7101: 2023 standard, and why should Kenyans be concerned?

The first globally recognized standard created especially for efficient medical care management is ISO 7101: 2023.

It is a systematic model for improving the quality of medical services through good leadership, risk management, performance efficiency, and sustainable improvement.

Kenya demonstrates its dedication to delivering excellent, patient-centered healthcare in compliance with widely recognized standards by passing the ISO 7101:2023 standard.

The Universal Health Coverage (UHC) objective of Kenya is fully supported by the act. Actually, the UHC wants to give all Kenyans free access to basic medical care.

However, access by itself is insufficient; medical care is also required. This is when the ISO 7101:2023 standard, which is ultimately very helpful, comes into play.

National special hospitals, district hospitals, and the Ministry of Health will be the first to implement the ISO 7101:2023 standard before it spreads to other healthcare facilities.

To guarantee a smooth transition without causing any changes to the nation's healthcare system as a whole, a phased rollout will be conducted in collaboration with the Board of Governors.

For healthcare providers, compliance with the ISO 7101: 2023 standard means a transition from traditional, often unsuitable methods for traditional hospital management to more organized and transparent ones.

Hospital administrators will have to develop policies aimed at continuous improvement, patient safety and risk management.

Therefore, patients can hope to improve the effectiveness of processes, reduce the number of medical errors, and improve the effectiveness of service delivery.

In addition, the standard encourages better use of resources. In a country where there is often not enough money for medical care, this is an opportunity that changes life for the better.

Hospitals will have a better chance of an effective budget if public funds are used in a way that ensures high patient care.

Hospitals and healthcare providers using the standard will be able to provide more reliable and efficient care, reducing the long wait associated with paperwork.

Patients will have easy access to information about healthcare providers, as transparency and accountability are a priority at the level.

Most importantly, ISO 7101:2023 attaches great importance to patient safety. Using risk management techniques, hospitals can effectively reduce medical errors and ensure that medical care is provided in accordance with optimal practice standards.

This will strengthen confidence in medical care in Kenya, and even more citizens will receive medical care without fear of poor quality of care.

To make this a reality, practitioners will receive appropriate training in accordance with the ISO 7101:2023 standard. In addition, tracking and evaluation procedures will be developed to monitor the level of compliance.

Hospitals that meet the requirements will receive accreditation, and for this, trust will increase and even international cooperation will be established, which will bring Kenya to the level of leaders in the field of medical services in the field of health care management and set it as an example in the countries of the region.

The application of the ISO 7101: 2023 standard is not a simple solution that will immediately solve all health care problems in Kenya, but a great success, and its success will depend on the commitment of all stakeholders, including governments, healthcare providers, and even the recipients of medical care themselves.

However, one fact is worth noting: Kenya is consciously striving to create a responsible, effective, patient-focused health care system.

The implementation of the ISO 7101: 2023 standard is an important step towards ensuring access to quality universal healthcare in Kenya.