The Assistant Minister for Health, Penioni Ravunawa has reaffirmed the country’s commitment to patient safety while addressing delegates at 7th Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety at Manilla in Phillipines last week.

Speaking before health leaders, development partners, and global stakeholders, the Assistant Minister highlighted Fiji’s dedication to the Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021-2030.

With the theme “Weaving Strength for the Future of Patient Safety,” Fiji maintains its commitment to healthcare safety through its Clinical Governance Framework

“Fiji’s commitment to patient safety, we remain committed to the Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021-2030, which is a vision, a world in which no one is harmed in healthcare and every patient receives safe and respectful care every time, everywhere. Our historical context of clinical governance, Fiji’s approach to patient safety is encapsulated in the Clinical Governance Approach which dated back to 2005 when it was introduced into the Ministry through its Risk Management Policy and Framework, which has been revised twice, once in 2019 and also in 2021 respectively” Ravunawa stated.

The ministry has strengthened its health systems through mandatory patient safety training, enhanced infection control protocols, clinical audits, and the digitisation of incident reporting systems.

Looking ahead, Fiji aims to further strengthen its clinical governance and oversight structures, with a focus on aligning national regulations and standards with the Global Action Plan.

“On our strengthened National Clinical Governance for National Oversight, the National Clinical Governance Committee has also been strengthened, meeting quarterly to monitor implementation of Clinical Governance Operational Plan at its health facilities. On the future strategies for patient safety enhancement in moving forward, Fiji is focused on strategies for strengthening patient safety through enhancing regulations and standards aligned with Global Patient Safety Action Plan recommendation” Ravunawa emphasized.

By Joeli Ragoneliwa