Quality healthcare policy for Saint Lucia underway

Quality healthcare delivery continues to be a priority for the Ministry of Health and Wellness. Ensuring quality health services within both the public and private sector by establishing standards of care is the goal behind the National Quality Healthcare Policy spearheaded by the Ministry of Health.
Research Officer for Quality, Nurse Ira Isaacs-Henry, said this policy is the foundation of the National Quality Management System to be implemented.
“The strategic direction of the government is to standardize healthcare,” she said. “By 2020, all healthcare facilities should be licensed and ready for future accreditation and this will boost our medical tourism and ensure safety in the healthcare delivery of our clients.
“The National Policy is the road map to get to where we are going because they say you cannot find treasure without a map. Therefore, you cannot achieve quality health care and improve the outcome for our clients without having a strategic direction and this quality policy is that road map and strategic direction that will get us to quality healthcare.”
Via the 10th EDF, National Indicative Program, several consultations were conducted with various stakeholder to identify gaps and areas which informed the formulation of the quality policy.
“We have also done reviews with our stakeholders and even our population and they have given us feedback and based on what we have heard, we have sat down and created this policy and we are here again once again to ensure from the general public that we did what they wanted us to do.”
The Saint Lucia Medical and Dental Council is in full support of the implementation of a quality health policy. The primary objective of the council is to ensure the protection of the public via the registration of qualified medical practitioners ensuring that they have the requisite training and skill set.
Dr. Sherry Ephraim-Le Compte, Chairperson of the Saint Lucia Medical and Dental Council, said the policy has several salient aspects.
“This workshop today highlighted the fact that the ministry is moving towards a quality healthcare policy, and standardization of facilities and professionals. It is very important for the licensing of facilities because for a practitioner to provide care to a patient they need the requisite tools and the requisite environment. So it is a good thing that the ministry will have a facility standard that when a patient goes into an office they know that that practitioner has the necessary tools and equipment to provide the quality of care that they are seeking.”
The latest consultation on the Quality Health Policy involved officials from the St. Jude and Victoria hospitals, Allied Health, the Saint Lucia Medical and Dental Council, and officials from the Ministry of Health.