The handover ceremony, held in Accra and themed “Transfer of Leadership Mandate: From Partnership to Ownership,” brought together the leadership of PharmAccess and SafeCare—both from Ghana and the international headquarters—and CHAG, to celebrate the successful local institutionalization and ownership of one of Ghana’s most transformative healthcare quality initiatives.

The event marked a symbolic milestone — a transition from technical partnership to full local ownership — as PharmAccess, the international health development organization that pioneered the SafeCare standards and quality improvement (QI) approach in Ghana and other parts of the world, officially handed over operational leadership and a sustainable model for continuous implementation of the system to CHAG.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Executive Director of CHAG, Dr Peter Yeboah, described the occasion as “solemn, proud, and deeply meaningful.”

He reflected on a six-year journey that began with cautious optimism and has since evolved into a national benchmark for healthcare quality and safety.

“When we began this partnership about five or six years ago, it was not just another project,” he said.

“It was the birth of a movement that sought to redefine what quality means in healthcare delivery. We came together on the conviction that access to care, though necessary, is not sufficient. What truly saves lives is access to quality, effective, and dignified care — care that treats the human person as more than a statistic, but as a being deserving of compassion and excellence.”

Adding to this, the Executive Director, announced that thirty-nine CHAG facilities have now attained SafeCare Level 4 certification, while others at various levels of quality rating have achieved more than 90% improvement in their scores.

He emphasised that these advancements mark a significant leap forward in healthcare delivery, noting that every improvement contributes to saving lives, strengthening patient trust, and restoring the dignity of care.

To sustain this progress, CHAG has established a dedicated SafeCare Quality Hub — a centre for training, mentorship, and performance monitoring — designed to ensure continuous quality improvement and capacity development beyond the handover.

In addition, CHAG has developed a sustainable business model to support the long-term implementation of the SafeCare system.

The model integrates multiple revenue streams — including member contributions, partnerships programs integration, and a token-based procurement system for facility participation — to ensure that quality improvement remains both financially viable and locally driven.

This approach positions CHAG to independently manage, scale, and continuously enhance the SafeCare program as an integral part of its broader health system strengthening agenda.

The impact of the SafeCare program has extended well beyond CHAG’s network. Working together, PharmAccess and CHAG successfully advocated for the recognition of the SafeCare standards and QI approach by Ghana’s Ministry of Health as a national quality improvement model.

The Ghana Health Service and the Health Facilities Regulatory Authority (HeFRA) have also adopted the framework within their quality assurance systems.

He stressed that the handover should not be seen as an endpoint, but an evolution in Ghana’s health quality journey.

On his part, Dr. Maxwell Antwi, the Country Director of PharmAccess Ghana, reflected with gratitude and resolve, recalling the program’s humble beginnings and hard-won successes.

 “When we began in 2019, the CHAG-SafeCare program was just a concept. Today, it has become the second most unifying factor within CHAG after salaries — and that says a lot for a network that’s been around for more than a century.” Dr Antwi credited CHAG’s leadership — particularly Dr Yeboah and his team — for their unwavering vision and persistence, noting that the partnership thrived because “they viewed health transformation not as a job, but as a mission.”

Adding a global perspective, Ms. Roelinde Bakker, International Director of SafeCare, commended CHAG and Ghana for their achievements, expressing admiration for the scale and impact of implementation in the country. She shared insights from her recent visits to St. James Polyclinic – Abesim and Holy Family Hospital – Berekum, where she witnessed the transformation firsthand.

“SafeCare operates in 25 countries with 39 partners, and CHAG in Ghana stands out as one of our strongest networks. We are extremely proud that more than 350 facilities from the CHAG network are implementing SafeCare. What we have learned from Ghana is shaping how we expand to new countries.”

She praised CHAG’s leadership for extending SafeCare even to remote areas and for empowering healthcare professionals with real-time data and actionable insights.

She concluded by reaffirming that PharmAccess and SafeCare remain committed to working alongside CHAG and the Ghana Health Service to extend quality standards across the entire health sector.

Ms. Bonifacia Benefo Agyei, Country Director of SafeCare in Ghana, commended CHAG for its leadership, vision, and commitment to quality improvement. She noted that the transition marks not an end, but the beginning of a new chapter of locally led innovation and sustainability in healthcare quality.

She said the handover symbolises more than the transfer of a system; it represents trust, capacity, and a shared vision for quality healthcare for all.

She continued that CHAG has demonstrated that with the proper structure, commitment, and leadership, local institutions can successfully sustain and scale international quality improvement models.

Ms Bonifacia Agyei expressed that PharmAccess is proud to have been part of crafting this transformative journey and remains committed to supporting Ghana’s broader health system strengthening efforts.

She reaffirmed PharmAccess’ confidence in CHAG’s capacity to manage the SafeCare system sustainably, highlighting that the new business and operational model developed by CHAG aligns with global best practices for health system ownership and accountability.

What began under external guidance has matured into a locally owned, nationally recognised model of excellence — one that reflects the power of partnership, purpose and faith in transforming healthcare.

But beneath these subtle changes lies a quiet revolution, SafeCare, which is impacting Ghana’s healthcare system—one facility, one worker, one patient at a time.

According to the internationally certified SafeCare assessors, who recently participated in the SafeCare Assessor Refresher Training in Koforidua under the theme “Consistency, Integrity, and Excellence: Elevating SafeCare Assessment Process for Facilities’ QI”, it may be the best hope yet for improving the quality of healthcare in Ghana.

Silently and gradually, SafeCare is helping to shape quality in healthcare delivery in Ghana. SafeCare was introduced to Ghana in 2011, but took off on a larger scale through the strategic partnership with the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) and PharmAccess in 2019.

Through the partnership, selected healthcare professionals are trained to become Internationally Certified SafeCare assessors, utilizing the SafeCare standards to assess CHAG member facilities and supporting them through an improvement initiative using the digitally enabled quality improvement approach.

Healthcare facilities networks using the SafeCare programme get their facilities introduced to a system for measuring, improving and benchmarking quality using ISQuaEEA accredited standards.

The SafeCare standards are categorised into 13 service elements (covering both clinical and non-clinical areas) with focus areas including Accident & Emergency Care, HIV, TB & Malaria, Infection Prevention, Mother & Child, Life & Fire Safety, Customer Care, Business Performance, Staff & Training, Stock Management, and Clinical Management.

Since its introduction in Ghana, healthcare organisations and networks such as CHAG, private healthcare partners and now Ghana Health Service (GHS), are using the SafeCare system to progress in improving trajectories from low quality to high quality, demonstrating that systemic improvement is possible even with limited resources.

“SafeCare has the key to unlock remedies to the quality challenges in our health sector,” said Dr. Jennifer Salman, a pediatrician at Sunyani Municipal Hospital. “It’s more than guidelines and SOPs. It’s a way of thinking that transforms everyone in the healthcare facility—from the cleaner to the medical director.”

Training the change agents

The Assessor Refresher Training Programme, organized by PharmAccess, aimed to empower individuals to become agents of change.

Participants included doctors, nurses, pharmacists, hospital administrators, quality officers, all trained to use the SafeCare standards and improvement methodology to support healthcare facilities with the provision of safer, efficient and more compassionate care.

“As a nurse, I used to think quality improvement was just about bedside care,” said Severa Kyeremaa, a pediatric nurse specialist from the CHAG network and a SafeCare certified assessor. “But SafeCare helped me understand that even cleaners and orderlies contribute to patient outcomes.” “Now I walk into a facility with confidence, knowing I have the tools to help close quality gaps.” For many, the training was an eye-opener. It pushed health professionals out of their silos, encouraging them to engage with broader aspects of service delivery— From governance, management, procurement & resource management, care coordination to data systems and waste management.

“SafeCare takes you beyond your area of specialisation,” said Benjamin Amoa-Menyah, another SafeCare-certified assessor and a specialist ENT nurse, from the CHAG network. “You start thinking about laboratory, pharmacy processes, documentation—things that seemed outside your role before. It sharpens your practice.”

A proven model, a growing movement

The success story with CHAG is proof of concept. Since 2019, SafeCare has helped the faith-based facilities adopt and integrate a culture of continuous improvement.

Under the guidance of the CHAG Director for Quality, Dr. Abraham Baidoo and with the support of dedicated professionals at the newly set up Quality Hub, CHAG has embedded the SafeCare approach as a major strategic direction to support effective and efficient service delivery among member facilities.

“We have institutionalised SafeCare within CHAG, and the results are evident,” said Dr. Baidoo.  “Our facilities are safer, better managed, and more accountable. It is no surprise that the Ghana Health Service has adopted the same model. We are proud to share what we’ve learned.”

The Ghana Health Service began a small-scale rollout of the SafeCare Programme in the Savannah and Bono East regions in 2022. In one year, several facilities recorded significant quality gains.

Subsequently, after expansion into one hundred other healthcare facilities in ten additional regions, four of the facilities have obtained a SafeCare Level 4 quality rating in 2024, a leap that would have seemed impossible without the program’s structured guidance powered by digital innovation.

The Ghana Health Service is looking to scale the SafeCare system to all healthcare facilities of the Service using a local ownership approach.

“We have moved from fragmented quality initiatives to a system-wide framework,” explained Joyce Amponsah, who works with the Quality Assurance Department at the Ghana Health Service Institutional Care Division. “SafeCare has made it possible to track real progress, not just intentions.”

Restoring trust, raising the bar

With healthcare organisations becoming more sensitive to medico-legal issues and striving to gain public trust, the SafeCare system is helping facilities to restore confidence of patients, communities and healthcare professionals.

“SafeCare is not just a checklist,” said Bonifacia Benefo-Agyei, Country Director for SafeCare Ghana. “It is a culture of integrity. Our assessors are trained not just to evaluate, but to inspire change.”

“When patients know that every step of their care is being guided by internationally recognized standards, it creates trust,” added Dr. Maxwell Antwi, Country Director of PharmAccess Ghana. “Our goal is for every Ghanaian to feel safe seeking care here, not to feel they must go abroad for better service.”

The growing SafeCare movement is also aligned with Ghana’s national commitment to Universal Health Coverage (UHC)—not just coverage in numbers, but care that is safe, equitable, and effective.

 What’s next: building for the long term

The Certified Assessors will continue to work across the Private, CHAG, and GHS network of facilities to evaluate quality performance, support improvements, and track facilities’ progress through SafeCare’s digital assessment tools.

But the work doesn’t stop there. SafeCare’s ultimate promise lies in its sustainability—training teams who can train others, embedding standards into daily operations, and changing mindsets from the inside out.

SafeCare has transformed my approach to work,” said Dr. Salman. “I now view quality not merely as a target to achieve, but as a responsibility to maintain.”

This sentiment resonates with the experiences of nearly every health worker who has adopted the SafeCare model.

For them, it is not just about improving scores; it is about elevating standards. And in doing so, fostering hope.

This development represents a significant milestone in institutionalising quality healthcare delivery across Ghana’s public health system.

It also signals the GHS’s commitment to addressing the systemic gaps that have resulted in a growing number of lawsuits for negligence and substandard care.

The training programme forms part of the SafeCare initiative, a global effort aimed at improving the quality and safety of healthcare services.

The assessors underwent an intensive selection and training process that involved regional nominations, classroom instruction, supervised assessments, and virtual sessions.

These professionals are now equipped to support healthcare facilities across the country in assessing performance, identifying gaps, and implementing targeted improvements.

Speaking at the graduation event in Accra, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, did not mince words about the stakes involved.

“Nowadays, as you’re aware, you get sued. Ghanaians are smarter now, and all the suits are because we did not take our quality processes seriously. Judges are giving huge fines, and now they’re garnishing our accounts. It’s about the right time we address this,” he indicated.

Dr. Kuma-Aboagye emphasised that the Service aims to institutionalise the SafeCare system as a core aspect of its operations.

“The vision of the Ghana Health Service and all of us here is to institutionalize the SafeCare system to make it a culture for the entire service. This way, service delivery will be linked to quality and safety, and every health worker will be empowered with quality improvement, working in improvement teams to continuously improve quality of care using data and evidence-based methods,” he explained.

The assessors underwent a rigorous selection and training process.

According to the event’s facilitators, “Each of the ten regions selected and submitted three districts with one network per district. Four eligible assessors were submitted by the ten regions, and two were shortlisted to represent the regions.”

The process included a one-week classroom session, a supervised in-person assessment, and virtual meetings.

“The trained assessors will train implementing facilities in their regions and conduct quality improvement trainings. They are now properly baked and ready to support their respective regions to measure their outcomes, identify areas for improvement, and institute measures to address the gaps,” the Director-General revealed.

CEO of PharmAccess and Founder of SafeCare, Dr. Nicole Spieker, commended the Ghana Health Service for prioritising quality healthcare delivery, highlighting the global implications of poor healthcare standards.

“Globally, five million people die annually due to poor-quality healthcare, and three million die because of lack of access. Quality improvement is key. It’s not just about infrastructure but about leadership, attitude, and investment,” she said.

Dr. Spieker urged the Ghana Health Service to continue the journey of institutionalising quality improvement in healthcare delivery adding that, “Ghana is paving the way for other African countries in the journey towards universal health coverage.”

The Country Director for PharmAccess, Dr. Maxwell Antwi, shared a special moment in honour of the Director-General. He recounted how a powerful quote from Dr. Kuma-Aboagye, first shared during a regional engagement in the Savannah Region, became a cornerstone of their advocacy efforts.

“We are springing a surprise on the Director-General, and this comes from when we were doing the regional engagements. We got to Savannah Region, and when the Director-General was speaking to the Savannah Regional Directorate, he made a very powerful quote, which we picked up and used in all our regional engagements.”

“I’m sure most of you are familiar with that quote because we always use it in all our regional engagements. We hadn’t gotten copyright from D-G, so we deemed it right that on a day such as this when we are celebrating our assessors, it is good to recognise who gave us the copyright to use that quote,” he said.

The newly certified assessors pledged to apply their skills to elevate healthcare standards in their regions.

“We acknowledge the rigour and intensity of the training we have undergone. It’s with immense pride and joy we stand here, ready to contribute as certified assessors, facilitators, and mentors. We pledge to serve diligently in our respective roles, striving to enhance the quality of healthcare within Ghana Health Service as envisioned by our Director-General,” she said.

PharmAccess recognised the efforts of the Director-general of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye with a citation that read, “Quality in healthcare means leadership, attitude, and investment.”

The SafeCare initiative is set to expand nationwide, with the ten participating regions leading the way and plans to bring the remaining six regions on board.

This milestone reflects a renewed commitment by the Ghana Health Service to prioritise quality, safety, and accountability in healthcare delivery, setting a benchmark for transformative healthcare practices in the country.

This facility symbolises CHAG’s dedication to delivering patient-centred care while addressing critical gaps in healthcare safety and quality.

Serving over eight million Ghanaians annually through its network of health facilities, CHAG’s SafeCare Hub will function as a center for training, research, and promoting safe healthcare practices. The Hub aims to consolidate the organisation’s achievements under the SafeCare initiative and sustain improvements in healthcare delivery.

Speaking at the commissioning, the Executive Director of CHAG, Dr. Peter Yeboah, described the facility as a beacon of hope for healthcare improvement in Ghana.

“For many Ghanaians, healthcare is not just about access but safety and dignity. This hub is a bold step toward ensuring that every individual receives the care they deserve,” he said.

Dr. Yeboah reflected on the milestones achieved through the SafeCare initiative over the past five years.

“We have recorded a 91% improvement in the overall quality of care in all CHAG facilities. Gladly, 70% of CHAG facilities have transitioned from one level to another – from Level 1 to Level 4.

The Director of Policy, Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation (PPME) at the Ministry of Health, Emma Ofori Agyemang, commended CHAG for its exceptional leadership in healthcare and assured government support for its operations. She revealed a substantial financial commitment to CHAG’s operations in 2025.

“CHAG has become a beacon of hope in our healthcare system. The government is proud to support this vision and ensure that no Ghanaian is left behind in accessing quality healthcare,” she stated.

She added, “It is refreshing to know that all CHAG facilities in Ghana have gone through the quality assurance assessment. I think that is very impressive, and 39 of them are at Level 4. This is very commendable.”

The CEO of PharmAccess, Dr. Nicole Spieker, highlighted the global importance of initiatives like SafeCare in addressing healthcare deficiencies.

“Globally, three million people die annually due to lack of access to care, while five million die because of poor-quality care. Ghana, through CHAG, is emerging as a leader on the continent in achieving universal health coverage,” she said.

On his part, the Auxiliary Bishop of Accra, Most Rev. John Kobina Louis, reaffirmed the Ghana Catholic Bishop Conference’s commitment to the SafeCare programme and the enduring partnership between the church and the state in healthcare delivery. Speaking at the commissioning of the CHAG-SafeCare Hub in Accra, Bishop Louis commended the initiative for its transformative impact on healthcare in underserved communities.

“As a founding member of CHAG, the Ghana Catholic Bishop Conference is proud to be part of the SafeCare journey and commend all efforts at bringing health and healing to the greatest number of people in our country, especially the unreached, the underserved, and the poorly served segment of the population,” he stated.

He also acknowledged the critical role of development partners, such as PharmAccess, in enhancing healthcare delivery.

“For our development partners such as PharmAccess, this joint SafeCare programme shows the value of collaboration and cooperation in promoting national and global health security. We remain grateful for demonstrating trust and confidence in CHAG,” Bishop Louis added.

In his concluding remarks, Bishop Louis urged CHAG leadership to prioritise professional excellence and innovation to strengthen the health sector.

“Finally, to the entire CHAG leadership, it’s our fervent hope that you’ll continue to uphold your stewardship role in maintaining this edifice and safeguard standards of professional excellence by conceptualizing innovative projects and programmes towards strengthening the CHAG network and the health sector as a whole,” he said.

The commissioning of the CHAG-SafeCare Hub marks a significant milestone in Ghana’s healthcare journey, reinforcing the commitment to quality care and collaboration in addressing the nation’s healthcare needs.

The Chairman of the Christian Council, Rt. Rev. Dr. Hilliard Dela Dogbe, emphasized the Christian community’s resolve to support sustainable healthcare delivery and praised CHAG’s achievements.

“The Church in Ghana has long been perceived as a leader in the provision of excellent healthcare. With the introduction of SafeCare, we now have a quality assurance program that elevates this perception by providing objective assessments, ratings, and benchmarks for our services.

“We cannot go back in providing quality assurance. The assessments and ratings are tools to ensure that we continue to give off our best. I trust and believe that none of the facilities that have reached Level 4 will want to drop to Level 3. Instead, all of us must aim to reach the pinnacle of Level 5 – or perhaps beyond that.”

He added, “This remarkable success reflects the unwavering support from church leadership and the Christian community. We are grateful to PharmAccess and other partners for their incredible support to CHAG.”

The Chairman of the occasion and the Board Chairman of the University of Ghana Medical Centre, Dr. Anarfi Asamoa-Baah, , described the commissioning of the SafeCare Hub as a landmark moment in Ghana’s healthcare journey and called on all stakeholders to support its vision.

For millions of Ghanaians, the SafeCare Hub represents more than a building – it is a symbol of hope, innovation, and a commitment to delivering healthcare that prioritises quality, safety, and dignity.

This milestone is the result of the hospital’s dedicated implementation of SafeCare quality improvement methodologies, alongside strategic interventions aimed at enhancing maternal care.

With over 2,000 mothers experiencing safe childbirth at the hospital during the year under review, this achievement not only reflects the hospital’s commitment to excellence in healthcare but also underscores the pivotal role of SafeCare interventions in transforming maternal health outcomes.

Speaking at a ceremony to commemorate the achievement, the General Manager, of the Agogo Presby Hospital, Rev Ezekiel Amadu Daribi, lauded the significant role the internationally accredited SafeCare quality improvement protocols has made toward the achievement.

“We are proud of what we have been able to achieve today because the Presbyterian Hospital Agogo is 93-years-old today and we are celebrating such a great milestone in health delivery. This journey has been by the grace of God and the deliberate interventions we have put in place as managers of the facility.”

Reverend Ezekiel Amadu Daribi explained that, the maternal health audit team and management of the hospital mapped out a strategy that has increased the response time for facilities in the peripheral communities to ensure that they refer cases to the Agogo hospital in time.

According to him, the contribution of PharmAccess’ SafeCare and Med4All programmes have enhanced the hospital’s ability to access quality medications and adherence to international standards of quality care.

We could not have gotten here without the critical intervention made by the Med4All team who ensured that the clinicians had access to good medicines to manage the cases.“ To run a hospital you need quality medicines and PharmAcces supported us in this way” He added.

In the year 2020, PharmAccess Ghana, in partnership with the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), launched the SafeCare Quality Improvement Program. The programme aimed to support all 330 CHAG hospitals in providing quality healthcare to Ghanaians. Additionally, it assesses all CHAG-registered hospitals and facilities to ensure they meet internationally-accredited SafeCare standards. The Presby Agogo Hospital is one of such.

An integral component of this success story is the SafeCare quality improvement methodology, which has been rigorously applied across the hospital’s operations. This approach has enabled the hospital to identify and address gaps in care, implement best practices, and ensure the continuous training of its medical staff.

The result is a healthcare environment that prioritizes the safety and well-being of mothers and their newborns, leading to the significant achievement of zero maternal deaths.

The Deputy Executive Director of CHAG, Dr. James Duah expressed profound excitement over the milestone achievement by the team. He said the maternal mortality ratio under five is a proxy indicator for how efficient a hospital is.

Dr Duah added that the zero maternal death record for the year under review is a testament that the Presby Agogo Hospital is a well-functioning and resilient hospital.

He explained, “To go three hundred and sixty-five days with all the challenges, receiving 2126 women who delivered in this hospital in 2023, show that the system is working well.”

He said this shows the commitment, skill, and competencies of the staff, and the collaborative way the staff have worked with all agencies and stakeholders to achieve the zero maternal death milestone.

Dr James Duah disclosed that the Agogo Presby Hospital attained secondary status in 2020 under the Ghana Health Service, the facility also has SafeCare Level 4 certification, which means that the health seekers in the facility receive a high-quality standard of care.

Senior Nurse Officer, Juliet Adjei, indicated the journey to achieving zero mortality for mothers came through collaborative efforts.

 ”We formed a team comprising of specialists. Alongside collaborating with corresponding departments, including the pediatricians,” she said.

Municipal Director of Health, Ronald Miah, says the Presbyterian Hospital, Agogo, has adhered to the vision of ensuring high maternal health which is in line with the national journey towards achieving universal health coverage by 2030.

He said the Presbyterian Hospital in Agogo has been on a steadfast mission to eradicate maternal mortality, a journey that has seen a dramatic decrease from 499 deaths in 2000 to zero in 2023.

The Municipal Director of Health, Ronald Miah, further noted that achieving this milestone has been complementary. He said the hospital’s participation in quality improvement and training programmes has immensely transformed the hospital into a center of excellence in health delivery.

“And this hospital now has become the pivot of quality health care in significantly improving healthcare outcomes in the Asante Akyim Municipality,” he said.

As the Presbyterian Hospital in Agogo celebrates its 93rd anniversary, it also commemorates a year of unparalleled success in maternal health, made possible by the adoption of SafeCare standards and the unwavering commitment of its staff and partners.

This achievement not only sets a precedent for healthcare excellence but also offers a beacon of hope for the future of maternal care in Ghana and beyond.

The hospital has also been fully accredited by the Health Facility Regulatory Agency (HeFRA) as a secondary-level health facility.

The facility has also been accredited by the College of Physicians and Surgeons as a center for specialist training of Members and Fellows of the College, contributing to critical human resource development for the country’s health sector.

This recognition affirms the hospital’s disposition and commitment to the delivery of secondary or referral-level healthcare that meets international standards for quality to the people in the Bono Region and its environs, eliminating the need for them to travel to Kumasi or Accra for specialist-level service in obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics, and surgical treatment.

The hospital administrator credits the SafeCare quality improvement certification program with the spurring enhancements in various quality standards and protocols, which led to the hospital’s elevation by the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

The hospital administrator, Christopher Akaanbonaab, highlighted the hospital’s journey from its establishment in 1954 as a health post by medical missionaries to its current status as a secondary Hospital facility and a centre of excellence in healthcare delivery.

He emphasized that the accreditation not only benefits patients and the hospital’s image but also mandates the training of medical staff in the region, facilitating the decentralization of healthcare professionals’ development, and their equitable distribution that will lead to overall improvement of healthcare services in the in the region and the country at large.

We currently have accreditation for training in obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and surgery. This is an opportunity to contribute critical human resource development for the health sector of our country, and we are honored to be part of it, stated Mr. Akaanbonaab.

He further expressed the hospital’s commitment to maintaining and enhancing its quality of care through continuous improvement to progress to SafeCare Level 5 status.

“Level 4 out of 5 means we have one more step to go. We still recognise that there’s a lot more work to be done. First, to maintain this current rating and more importantly to improve upon it and get the highest rating, which is Level 5”.

In the face of a dwindling number of health professionals in rural communities, Mr. Akaanbonaab also lauded the idea of decentralization of medical training in the country.

“One way to improve this current situation would be to decentralize residents training to major regional centers that can offer opportunities for more candidates who will not have to move from their social setting to Accra or Kumasi”.

The Executive Director of the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), Dr. Peter Yeboah, described the upgrade of the Holy Family Hospital as monumental, paving the way for the training of more health professionals to address healthcare challenges in the more resource-constrained parts of the country.

“To us, it is not only monumental, it is so much a vital instrument for training specialists at the peripheral level. Meaning that we’ll be able to attract and retain specialists who will be trained as part of localization and decentralization to ensure that quality healthcare services are spread to the peripheral ends.”

The current status of the facility as a referral centre also makes it the first CHAG hospital to be accredited by the college to train specialists in pediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, surgery, and internal medicine. According to the Executive Director of the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), Dr. Peter Yeboah, this gives meaning to the decentralisation policy of the College of Physicians and Surgeons and aligns very well with Ghana’s quest to achieve Universal Health Coverage.

“The concept of decentralization in training members and fellows of the college has long been an objective of the Ghana Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons. After rigorous assessment, the Holy Family Hospital has been accredited to train fellows,” Dr. Yeboah explained.

Hospital authorities are enthusiastic about providing globally standardised healthcare services and equipping healthcare professionals with internationally accepted skills, aligning with Ghana’s goal of achieving universal health coverage.

The hospital has imbibed and leveraged the ambition of SafeCare, which is to create a global platform of organisations and people willing to pursue innovative approaches to improve clinical quality, using transformative digital solutions to challenge the status quo and strengthen trust in the healthcare system.

This groundbreaking program equips healthcare professionals with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to implement the internationally recognized SafeCare Standards and drive the wheels of quality improvement (QI) methodology.

Through comprehensive assessments and ratings, these trained assessors identify quality gaps and areas needing improvement and support facilities in implementing improvement activities or programs.

As a result, participating healthcare providers can elevate their standards of care and continuously establish themselves as trusted providers of high-quality care.

A Journey of Impact

The program initially trained Technical Quality Officers from Marie Stopes International Ghana, who successfully utilized the SafeCare Standards and Methodology to enhance services within the social franchise network.

Since then, healthcare professionals from partner organizations such as Sanford World Clinic, University of Ghana Medical Center, New Cristal Health Services, (Care Point) Africa Health Holdings, and the Christian Health Association of Ghana have also undergone training as assessors.

These assessors are spread across all the regions in Ghana, collectively supporting about 700 healthcare facilities that see over seven million people annually.

  “It is an eye opener for us as CHAG…..we didn’t know much as to what was happening in our facilities. Now we know the simple but important things we can do to improve the quality of healthcare” One assessor with the Christian Health Association of Ghana noted.

The SafeCare Assessor Training Program follows a structured approach consisting of three phases after a standardized and rigorous selection of professionals.

In the first phase, trainee assessors establish a solid foundation through intensive face-to-face sessions that delve into theoretical concepts related to healthcare quality management, standards, and tools for improvement.

The second phase focuses on applying this knowledge in real-healthcare facility assessments under the guidance of a mentor, with continuous feedback and a post-training test.

The final phase aims to solidify expertise by conducting independent but remotely supported assessments in at least five healthcare facilities.

Successful completion marks their journey with the esteemed title of a licensed SafeCare assessor and a QI facilitator.

Each year, a qualified SafeCare assessor must attend a refresher training and conduct at least five facility assessments to maintain the SafeCare assessor license.

This immersive training experience equips assessors with a comprehensive understanding of the SafeCare Standards and Methodology and essential soft skills required for effective assessments, instructive reporting, and impactful feedback.

By revolutionizing their approach to assessing quality healthcare service delivery, these assessors can identify areas for improvement and develop quality improvement plans (QIPs) to support healthcare facilities on their quality improvement journeys.

Elevating Excellence, Transforming Care

Overall, the SafeCare assessor training program is transforming the healthcare landscape in Ghana by empowering assessors to drive quality improvement initiatives.

With about 700 healthcare facilities currently benefiting from comprehensive assessments and QI facilitation, the program has helped the facilities to successfully identify areas for improvement and implement tailored initiatives for improvement.

The impact, according to the assessors and providers, has been remarkable, with a reduction in adverse events, increased patient satisfaction, and significant operational and business performance.

These achievements highlight the program’s commitment to enhancing the quality of care and driving positive change in Ghana’s healthcare system.

Beyond Assessors’ ability to identify areas for improvement and support the implementation of improvement initiatives, they have gained holistic expertise in healthcare management.

This broader perspective has enhanced their ability to assess and evaluate healthcare facilities, leading them to revise their work approaches and collaborate more effectively with their teams.

A Tapestry of Positive Change

The training has empowered assessors to advocate for resources and improvements in healthcare facilities.

Through their expertise and data-driven assessment reports, certified assessors have played a vital role in driving tangible outcomes and guiding facilities toward value-based care.

This data-driven advocacy has revolutionized resource allocation and improvement efforts, resulting in notable improvements in infrastructure, equipment, staffing, operational and care processes.

Certified assessors have become invaluable resources for healthcare facilities, helping to institutionalize quality improvement in our healthcare system aligned with international standards.

This shift towards value-based care ensures that patients receive high-quality, evidence-based care focused on improving health outcomes.

Moreover, the program has empowered assessors to take on leadership roles within their facilities and the broader organizations.

They have become advocates for change, leading initiatives and reforms that improve the quality of care. As a result, patients receive better care that meets international standards.

Fostering a Culture of Excellence and Higher Sense of Professionalism

The comprehensive understanding of healthcare management gained by certified assessors catalyzes their professional growth and career advancement.

Continuous professional development credit points provided through the training contribute to the renewal of professional licenses and keep assessors updated with the latest developments in the field.

This increased knowledge and thirst for advancement is contributing to the overall improvement of the healthcare system. An assessor said, “We now have someone who manages health and safety, the quality improvement teams now have more defined roles and have selected people with the requisite skillset in quality management.”

The impact of the SafeCare assessor training program extends beyond individual facilities. Assessors collaborate and share insights, experiences, and innovative approaches to quality improvement, contributing to a broader network of healthcare providers committed to enhancing the standard of care across the healthcare system.

This collaboration fosters a culture of continuous improvement and knowledge-sharing, benefiting the entire healthcare system in Ghana.

Another SafeCare assessor said, “I have set up a quality management team, which didn’t exist before I took the SafeCare Assessor Training Program. We are now at level 4”

The SafeCare assessor training program demonstrates sustainable scaling of embedding healthcare quality improvement, assuring a way for more healthcare facilities to participate and benefit from the SafeCare healthcare quality improvement program.

In conclusion, the SafeCare Assessor Training Program isn’t just a training endeavor; it’s a legacy of excellence.

By empowering healthcare providers with the skills and knowledge to champion quality, the program is ushering in an era of elevated standards, improved patient outcomes, and trusted providers of quality care.

The program possesses the potential to drive significant health system change, improve patient outcomes, and develop a robust healthcare system towards the attainment of universal healthcare goals in Ghana

According to her, expanding coverage alone will not improve disease and healthcare burden in the population unless the question of access to quality is answered.

She strongly makes the point that although access to healthcare services is obviously a challenge that the Government and relevant Stakeholders must relentlessly work to address, low quality of care in healthcare facilities seriously compromises the efforts put into ensuring access to healthcare services. 

“If the patient or the community’s trust in healthcare quality is low, it leads to low patronage.

“Our nation’s healthcare system will be no close to the attainment of Universal Health Coverage unless we turn our attention to ensuring that health facilities implement quality improvement programs. In doing so, objective measurement is key; SafeCare offers standards and methodology for objective assessment and rating and support for stepwise improvement,” Ms. Benefo Agyei explained. 

Ms. Bonifacia Benefo Agyei is, however, pleased that since the introduction of the SafeCare program, quality improvement in healthcare is gradually receiving attention among healthcare providers and health administrators in Ghana. 

Speaking on the SafeCare Standards for healthcare quality improvement program, she said, the SafeCare Healthcare Quality Standards were developed through a joint initiative of PharmAccess Foundation and two healthcare accreditation think tanks, the Joint International (JCI) and the Council for Health Service Accreditation of Southern Africa (COHSASA). 

She noted that the SafeCare program empowers healthcare providers to progress by helping them measure, monitor, improve, and benchmark their services using innovative solutions and internationally accredited quality standards.

“SafeCare has a specific goal of supporting healthcare providers in emerging markets or LMIC toward achieving global standards of quality and patient safety, most importantly, without compromise,” Ms. Bonifacia Benefo Agyei observed.

The SafeCare quality Standards are divided into 13 different categories (Service Element), covering the full range of medical/ clinical to non-medical (management and administrative) aspects of care and ranging from small health posts to large (primary & secondary) hospitals. 

The Standards are accredited by the International Society for Quality in Health Care External Evaluation Association (ISQuaEEA). The thirteen service elements comprise one hundred and seventy sub-categorizations (standards) with each standard having four criteria to measure the quality performance of healthcare facilities.

Support for quality healthcare improvement in Africa

The SafeCare Director told journalists that the overall SafeCare program is designed to help develop and improve the capacities of healthcare professionals through the assessors’ and facilitators’ training, onsite facility training, the assessment process, and progressive digitally supported quality facilitation. 

She indicated that the program affords selected healthcare professionals to be trained and mentored to be internationally certified assessors and improvement facilitators who use the SafeCare standards, tools, and operational modules to support healthcare facilities toward improvement.

“For more than ten years, SafeCare has supported governments, healthcare provider networks, organizations, and individual healthcare facilities to institutionalize quality improvement in healthcare systems in countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Ghana,” Ms. Benefo Agyei said.

She further emphasized that depending on a facility’s performance against the SafeCare standards, it is awarded a certificate of improvement, ranging from level 1 (very modest quality) to level 5 (high quality). 

The SafeCare certificate of improvement includes the facility’s name score and the level attained, enabling the facility to increase patient and partner trust by publicly recognizing its current status and showing its progress as it advances in its improvement journey.

 As the facility improves its performance against the SafeCare standards, it progresses to the next certificate of improvement, providing a transparent, positive, and motivational rating system that recognizes each stage of the improvement journey. 

“The progress made by the facility on the improvement journey directly impacts the professionalism of the staff, the quality of care given to patients, and all other essential outcome indicators,” she added.

SafeCare’s partnerships and impact on healthcare quality improvement:

Ms. Bonifacia Benefo Agyei engaging the media revealed that over 3000 public and private health facilities in 6 countries in Africa have been assessed using the SafeCare standards, 80% of the facilities improve in quality and 914 healthcare professionals of various specialities have been trained as certified assessors and quality improvement facilitators.

 “In Tanzanian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW) has adopted the SafeCare standards as the basis for stepwise certification and development of the regional referral hospitals assessment tool.” She added. In Nigeria, SafeCare is cooperating with the Ministry of Health of State to implement the SafeCare methodology in the public sector,” Ms. Bonifacia Benefo Agyei explained further. 

In Ghana, she stated, SafeCare supported the development of the NHIA credentialing tools, and HeFRA’s inspection tools for licensing, adding, the SafeCare Ghana office works with over 600 healthcare facilities and has performed 1117 SafeCare assessments. There are also 45 healthcare professionals of varying grades and expertise who have also been trained and certified as assessors and facilitators.

SafeCare Ghana partners with the Christian Health Association of Ghana, Marie Stopes International Ghana, and Africa Health Holdings (Manager of the Rabito Clinic brand in Ghana) in using the standards and methodology to rate, improve, and benchmark the healthcare facilities with their networks.

Additionally, there are individual private organizations and health facilities chains and networks including Sanford World Clinics, and New Crystal Health Services that use the SafeCare approach as their quality improvement program.

Not long ago, the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency announced its recognition of the SafeCare quality standards and improvement methodology for certification and quality accreditation.

When asked what she hopes the SafeCare program achieves in Ghana the Director of SafeCare responded:

“I am looking forward to all healthcare system regulators, decision and policymakers, managers, and providers embracing the SafeCare program as an opportunity for changing how healthcare services are provided in Ghana.  

“I am also looking forward to using quality standards such SafeCare to empower patients and healthcare consumers to make informed choices about where they can obtain quality healthcare.”