Celebration of World Patient Safety Day 2023
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has joined the rest of the world in celebrating the World patient Safety Day since 2019 when it was first established. This year, Sri Lanka embarked on a journey to celebrate this important event with multiple activities including a two-day programme consisting of technical sessions, presentations of best practices and abstracts, and a national event to commemorate the day.
This year, in line with the theme and the slogan announced by the World Health Organization (WHO) for 2023, the World Patient Safety Day was celebrated in Sri Lanka under the theme of ‘Engaging patients for patient safety’ and the slogan of ‘Elevate the voice of patients!’.
Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka conducted a two – day National Convention on Healthcare Quality and Safety to celebrate the World Patient Safety Day. The first day of the commemoration held on the 15th of September, was more towards an academic focus. Two plenary sessions were held focusing on patient engagement, under the themes of ‘Medication Safety for Patient engagement’ and ‘patient safety for patient engagement’, where an expert group of speakers shared their thoughts, and these were complemented by a guest speech by an eminent Physician, Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama. The second plenary included a talk by a member of a patient group, expressing their empowerment through a ‘Diabetic forum’. Abstracts submitted on healthcare quality and safety by hospitals throughout the country were presented as oral presentations and posters, and the best were selected and appraised. The event was graced by high level Ministry of Health officials including the Additional Secretary Medical Services, Dr. Sunil de Alwis and Deputy Director General (Medical Services)-I Dr. Lal Panapitiya, many heads of healthcare institutions, various categories of healthcare workers and patients.
The second day of the event held on the 16th of September marked the National Celebration of the World Patient Safety Day. The event was graced by the presence of the Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardena and the WHO Country Representative for Sri Lanka, Dr. Alaka Singh. Many other distinguished guests attended this national event which comprised of an interesting line up of events including the keynote address by Emeritus Professor Saroj Jayasinghe, addresses by Dr. Asela Gunawardena, Dr. Alaka Singh, Dr. Lal Panapitiya and Dr. Dewanee Ranaweera – Director Healthcare Quality and Safety, a video clip on a patient’s experience in patient empowerment, and presentation and awarding of projects which were selected as the best projects under the selection of best practices in healthcare institutions. The Hon. Minister of Health sent his best wishes for the event through a message, which was read out to the gathering by the Director General of Health Services. In addition, the Director Maternal and Child Health Dr. Chithramalee de Silva also addressed the audience on the maternal and newborn care quality assessment, which is being carried out, and the best performing hospitals in this regard were awarded.
Prior to the event, the healthcare institutions across the country were sensitized and made aware about the theme of the World Patient Safety Day and the activities they could carry out in this regard. A letter was issued under the signature of the Director General of Health Services informing them about this. The healthcare institutions conducted activities going in line with the theme at the institutional level. Best practices on healthcare quality and safety were invited by the Directorate of Healthcare Quality and Safety (DHQS) from the healthcare institutions, and there was a very positive and enthusiastic response, with more than a hundred entries being received covering both Line Ministry and Provincial Health Ministry institutions. Through a stringent process of shortlisting and judging by an independent panel of judges, the best projects were selected to be awarded at the national event.
A media release was issued by the DHQS to create awareness of the public on this important day and its significance. Multiple categories of health workers were sensitized on patient engagement through workshops. Posters shared by the WHO on the theme were disseminated among hospitals to be displayed. Banners were displayed at the national event.
In line with the theme for this year’s WPSD, the DHQS also initiated the establishment of a Patients for Patient Safety network for Sri Lanka in August 2023.
