U.S. govt, CMDs move to improve quality of HIV services in hospitals

Human Going by information from the Nigerian Alliance for health Systems Strengthening (NAHSS) project, better days are in for Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) positive patients.

This is because the United States Government through the University of Maryland, the Federal Ministry of Health, State Ministries of Health and implementing partners have stepped up efforts to improve the quality of care provided across all the HIV treatment sites in Nigeria.

To this effect, the implementation of a quality improvement programme called NigeriaQual has been stepped up by the stakeholders to measure quality of service provided to clients enrolled in HIV care and treatment services in Nigeria during a six month review period.

14 states are so far involved in NigeriaQual with data reported from over 120 facilities, according to officials.
This week, about 90 heads of tertiary and secondary hospitals in the country converged Abuja and Calabar to strategize on improving the quality of HIV care and treatment services provided to people living with HIV.

The meeting begin with the first batch of 30 heads of secondary facilities attending and moved to maximize the benefits of adopting and maintaining a structured quality management process in hospitals.

Manager, Communications at the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), Mr. Dennis Mordi revealed that the meeting is made up of Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors from Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Niger, Edo, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Oyo, Rivers, Ogun and Lagos States and the Federal Capital Territory; and the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), United States Government (USG) and other relevant agencies.

The NAHSS Project Director, Mrs. Chinenye Ugoji told The Guardian: “highlight the need to create an environment that fosters innovation, supports quality improvement and promotes excellence.” According to her, the engagement of leadership of hospitals and government in delivery of high quality patient care and clinic processes is pivotal to building a sustainable culture of high standards in Nigeria’s health care system.

National Coordinator HIV/AIDS Division, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Evelyn Ngige noted that the Ministry started HIV quality improvement program in 2007 as a pilot but institutionalized it in December 2012 by convening a large stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, followed by study tours and development of guidelines and indicators.

“In 2007 when we started with support of New York State department of Health, it was called HIVQUAL, later it changed to NIGQUAL because it is expected to focus not just on HIV alone but the entire health sector. NigeriaQUAL is the name that wformance measurement cannot be over emphasized. It focuses on improving the quality of HIV/AIDS prevention, care & treatment and associated services in the country with a view of extending it to other health and (non-health sectors). It will promote cost efficiency, effectiveness of human resources and timely availability of services and goods. It will also contribute to good health outcomes. FMOH and its partners have reviewed the HIV quality performance measurement twice, with the third currently been concluded for 2015.

Currently 14 states are covered under the USG supported funding. 12 as at the end of September 2015, and we commenced engagement activities for 2 additional states in October 1, 2015. The Federal Government has concluded plans to involve other states through support from Global fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

There is a need for GON at all levels, facilities, all IPs and donors to be involved. This will follow a structured and standardized approach hence the availability of guideline, indicators and other national documents to drive the process.
“The clinical governance is a two way system which involves “the governed”, who should participate and hold “the government” responsible for their actions and request for accountability.

The outcome of this meeting is expected to provide the required push towards full institutionalization of the QI program in our health facilities. Our desire is for full involvement of leadership of healthcare facility working closely with the relevant government authorities. On that note, I declare this meeting open.”

Since 2012, the NAHSS project, with funding from USG, has partnered with the Federal Ministry of Health, State Ministries of Health, the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria and other Implementing partners (IPs) to develop and implement the expanded nationally standardized quality management program called NigeriaQual. Notable milestones achieved so far include; the development and approval of guidelines and protocols to guide activities of the different programs; periodic performance measurement surveys on key health indicators and the effective dissemination of the results from such surveys through multiple media to guide decision making.