Upgrading of Hospitals and Clinics to World-Class Standards Will Boost RP's Medical Tourism

Online, February 17, 2011 (Newswire.com) - With medical tourism becoming the Philippines' fastest-growing sunrise industry and the country emerging as a leading healthcare destination in Asia, the need for consistent quality and safety assurance has become paramount. The Philippines has already been recognized for its caring and cheerful doctors and nurses who have excellent English communication skills. But for medical tourism to truly flourish, it is necessary for hospitals and clinics based in the Philippines to be at par with world-class standards, which is exactly the goal of accreditation.

International accreditation provides assurance on patient safety and quality of care. It stimulates continuous improvement for healthcare organizations and builds credibility and confidence-not only among foreign patients but also among international health insurance companies and medical travel facilitators.

To educate hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centers, and other small healthcare organizations on how to be internationally accredited, get global recognition, and ultimately increase the number of foreign patients in their facilities, an in-depth and comprehensive training will be held entitled "Workshop on Implementing International Accreditation Standards for Hospitals and Clinics". The training will be held from March 7 to 9, 2011 at the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), San Miguel Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City.

This three-day training program will be conducted by NABH International (NABH-I), one of the most successful international accreditation programs in the world, and its Philippine representative HealthCORE. NABH-I is accredited by the International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua) under its International Accreditation Program-one of the few accrediting organizations in the world to achieve this recognition. ISQua is an international body which grants approval to healthcare accreditation programs around the world as a seal of excellence.

Among the important topics to be discussed in the workshop are standards on continuous quality improvement, good governance, facility safety, human resources, and information management system. Standards on access, care of patients, management of medication, patient rights, and infection control will likewise be covered, as part of the criteria set by ISQua. The workshop will be facilitated by the international surveyors and assessors themselves who are from accredited teaching hospitals.

Hospital owners, administrators, quality personnel, medical professionals, nursing supervisors, professionals, and practitioners in the healthcare industry are invited to register and participate in the training. It will be a venue for them not only to learn about methods and best practices on how to achieve world-class standards, but also assist them in achieving excellent marks for local accreditation such as PhilHealth.

Limited slots are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. To reserve a slot or for more information, please visit www.healthcore.com.ph, call 9108030 or 0917.8918998, or email [email protected].