Raising awareness of patient safety among hospital managers and professionals in health-care institutions was the focus of training facilitated by WHO in North Macedonia, in partnership with the WHO Athens Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety.
Safety culture, understood as shared beliefs, values and norms with a high regard for patients’ safety, is key to providing high-quality health care and protecting patients and families from harm. Health institutions with a developed patient safety culture are much more likely to have better health outcomes and fewer errors.
The training, in Skopje, was aimed at directors and managers of health-care institutions, health-care workers and representatives of commissions for improving the quality of health care within hospitals. The Ministry of Health (MoH) is committed to ensuring and improving patient safety and is addressing gaps in knowledge, policy, design, delivery and communication at all levels of health care.
In line with the biannual agreement for cooperation with WHO/Europe, the MoH has identified quality of care and patient safety as a priority, recognizing it as a discipline that improves health care, reduces risks and makes health-care services effective and patient-oriented.
Following a thorough assessment of patient safety, a national action plan was drafted for 2024–2030 and a patient safety working group has been established.
Leadership in health care
The four training days included interactive presentations, followed by a series of hands-on workshop sessions on “Leadership and management” and “Patient safety improvement measures”. During the sessions, participants identified challenges and risks, shared ways of implementing appropriate institutional measures for good clinical practice and exchanged lessons learned from the field in other countries of the WHO European Region.
“Orienting health systems towards the delivery and improvement of quality is fundamental to progress and meeting the expectations of both populations and health-care workers,” said Anne Johansen, WHO Special Representative and Acting Head of the WHO Office in North Macedonia. “Transforming the ‘blame culture’ into a ‘safety culture’ is essential in all countries, particularly in the Western Balkans and south-eastern Europe, where the registered rate of adverse events related to patient diagnosis and treatment is the lowest.”
The critical role that health-care providers play in turning this ideal into a reality was recognized and shared by all participants. Dr Joao Breda, Head of the WHO Athens Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety, stressed this, saying, “WHO/Europe is happy to witness North Macedonia’s significant progress in improving patient safety and quality of care. Since the initial mission last year, substantial progress has been achieved, and we are delighted to provide robust support to the country in reinforcing its health system. The success in implementing specific measures, which are crucial for improving the quality of care and ensuring patient safety in the country, depends significantly on the leadership of health-care professionals.”
Dr Lidija Jovchevska Ivanovska, Head of the Obstetric Department and Delivery Room at Kumanovo general hospital, called the training event a “game changer”, saying, “Not only did it raise our awareness, but it also offered practical measures to reduce the risks of preventable adverse events”.
Building a reliable safety culture
Following the training, collaboration between WHO and the MoH continues, with clear targets set. Next steps include piloting patient-safety initiatives in selected hospitals and continuing capacity-building related to patient safety in health-care institutions. Robert Velichkovski, WHO technical focal point for patient safety at the MoH, noted, “No one should be harmed when receiving health-care services. This motto will lead us when designing the next steps in building a reliable safety culture.”
Concluding the training session, Dr Johansen said, “We have identified key immediate actions – quick wins – that hospitals can undertake within a short timeframe to demonstrate a positive impact and bring about change for the benefit of health workers and the general population. The implementation of patient safety training during this week marks the initiation of the process to support the implementation of these quick wins. Through these training initiatives, we’re not just shaping health-care practices, we’re building a foundation for a safer, more patient-centred future.”
Maja Manoleva, North Macedonia’s Deputy Minister, looked forward to the newly established partnership between the MoH and WHO/Europe and the outcomes that could be achieved.
“Through our collaboration with the World Health Organization, we ensure that these training programmes align with our commitment to delivering high-quality health care. Together, we strive for a healthier and safer future for all. Patient safety is a fundamental stone of our health-care service, and this event is an excellent opportunity to discuss together how to ensure safe, efficient and quality services with a primary focus on patients.”