The World Patient Safety Day 2022 will fall on the 17th of September this year. The World Health Organization has declared the theme for this year’s World Patient Safety Day as ‘Medication Safety’, considering the severe patient harm, disability and death occurring as a result of medication errors. It is a known fact that unsafe medication practices and medication errors are a leading cause of avoidable harm in healthcare across the world.

The Directorate of Healthcare Quality and Safety (DHQS), as the focal point in the country for implementing the National Quality Assurance Programme, is currently in the process of making arrangements to celebrate the World Patient Safety Day 2022, similar to previous years. Many activities have been planned to commemorate this important day.

In order to create awareness on medication safety among the health professionals as well as the general public, it is planned to develop Information, Education & Communication (IEC) material on medication safety, to be disseminated using different communication methods and platforms including social media.

As a way of giving opportunity to hospitals to showcase the best practices adopted by them, the Line Ministry and Provincial hospitals were invited to send their best practices related to medication safety to the DHQS as write-ups and photos. The selected best practices will be recognized and appraised at the national event of the World Patient Safety Day. Gold, Silver and Bronze awards will be presented for the best entries in Line Ministry and Provincial Ministry categories.

The National event is planned to be held at the Auditorium of the Directorate of Healthcare Quality and Safety as a hybrid event, with the participation of relevant stakeholders.