The Debswana Orapa and Letlhakane Mines Hospital has been awarded accreditation by the Council for Health Services Accreditation of Southern Africa (COHSASA), an internationally recognized quality assurance and accreditation body for health service providers.
A press release from Debswana Orapa and Letlhakane Mines says that the certification recognizes the high level of service and patient care within the hospital, comparable to other international hospitals of the same level.
Commenting on this achievement, the Mines’ General Manager, Seb Sebetlela, noted that the COHSASA certification is an assurance that the service offered by the hospital meets international quality standards.
He added that certification is a reflection of the quality and high caliber of the staff at the hospital, who match international counterparts in service delivery, patient care and efficiency.
“This should assure those who use the services of the hospital that their health is in good hands,” he said.
“OLM Hospital not only caters for employees of the Mines, but it is also a referral facility for our satellite areas and, as management of the Mines, it is our responsibility to ensure that the health of these people is accorded appropriate value and care,” Sebetlela asserted.
Sebetlela concluded by saying that OLM Hospital endeavors to maintain these high standards, and aim for a three year accreditation, which is a higher measure. He said that the Hospital conducts quarterly audits based on COHSASA standards, in order to continuously improve delivery.
COHSASA is made up of medical practitioners and its accreditation criteria are based on recurrent medical research conducted in medical universities. Its systems are accredited by the International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua). Orapa and Letlhakane Mines Hospital was first accredited by COHSASA in 2002.
According to their website, COHSASA aims at assisting quality improvement and internationally recognized accreditation. COHSASA also assists a range of healthcare facilities to meet and maintain quality standards by enabling healthcare professionals to measure themselves against these standards and monitor improvements using quality improvement methods, internationally accredited standards and a web-based information system.
Through strictly applied quality improvement methods health service centers can improve patient safety and the quality of care by guiding interventions, monitoring progress and identifying improvements. COHSASA provides data on the quality of health service provision to governing authorities so that it can be used for strategic decisions.
In the past 13 years, over 435 facilities have entered the COHSASA program. Patients receiving care and treatment in accredited facilities can rest assured that top of the range facilities are in place. Such facilities include systems based on best practice to ensure that the hospital functions according to quality standards, service improvement monitoring systems, clearly defined methods of interacting with patients to ensure their well being, maximum efficiency, appropriate staff development and training programs and a safe and clean environment for staff, patients and visitors that meets clearly defined safety and legal requirements.
