Health Minister Abdullah Nazim Ibrahim says that Maldives needs to change the health care sector policies toward a more quality and safer culture in order to address most of the issues facing public health.

He made the statement speaking in the opening ceremony of the Quality and Safety Symposium currently ongoing in Bandos Island resort.

In his address the Minister noted that provision of safe health care is a must, adding that health care in the Maldives went from basic few services to state-of-the art technology services. The Minister said that the Government viewed public health care providers as partners in care delivery and starting new services.

Minister Nazim noted that in spite of the infrastructural and technological developments in the sector, there is always room for development, focusing on accountability and quality. As such the Minister noted that open disclosure and involving patients and their families in the process will contribute in better care to the patient.

“Quality and safety culture will address most of the issues currently facing the sector,” he said.

Speaking in the ceremony, ADK Managing Director Ahmed Af’aal said that ADK has been working for many years to implement a quality safety system in the hospital. He said it was a difficult task but due to steady implementation, people were starting to openly talk about service provision.

“One of the big challenges is the lack of regulations and legal frameworks, especially for providers and patients, privacy and confidentiality of information,” Af’aal said.

Af’aal said that we must try to orient a culture in hospitals that medical service professionals and providers wish to experience when they get sick.

Dr. Sarah Dalton Dr. Arne Poulstrup, Dr. Tracey Tay, Dr. Faisal Saeed and State Minister at Health Ministry Hussain Rasheed are the key note speakers of the two-day symposium.