94,000 healthcare workers across Jordan pledge to enhance quality of services

AMMAN — In its third year, the Change Day Campaign engaged over 94,000 healthcare sector workers, who pledged to improve the quality of services across the country.

The Change Day Campaign, which was implemented on Wednesday by the Health Care Accreditation Council (HCAC) in cooperation with Hikma Pharmaceuticals, encourages healthcare service providers’ personal commitment to improving health services through additional efforts and without incurring extra costs.

The local campaign is part of an international initiative that seeks to improve services to patients and break the routine. It started in the UK and moved to several countries, including Canada and Australia.

HRH Princess Muna pledged to commit to investing in the health of the younger generation through a comprehensive school health programme.

Building on the achievements of the past two years, the third version of the initiative seeks to promote and deepen quality services among all health facilities across the Kingdom, said HCAC CEO Salma Jaouni.

She noted that the initiative this year witnessed a “great advancement in the on-ground implementation of pledges”, adding that change could be depicted through simple cost-free steps that increase patients’ safety and satisfactions.

The campaign this year witnessed many long-term pledges with a sustainable impact, including a commitment to creating a programme where employees can share their opinions within their institutions, and another on changing the patient flow system.

Salameh Rjoub, the head of the Quality and Institutional Development Department at Al Bashir Hospital, said around 1,500 staff members out of the total 3,500 took part in the initiative.

He told The Jordan Times over the phone that this year, the pledges were organised into workgroups rather than previous personal efforts, a matter that helped create a larger impact.

Rjoub added that pledges in the hospital included providing “private-hospital-like” services, especially in the gynaecology and paediatrics departments.

Some of the pledges are of a continuous nature, such as providing frequent free diabetes tests, he said.  

With the participation of eight hospitals in the governorates that have obtained the council’s accreditation this year, the campaign witnessed active involvement from medical facilities outside the capital. 

Staff at Maan Public Hospital’s intensive care unit pledged to carry out a free medical day that includes a number of primary health tests, and to spread awareness on obesity. 

Nurses Nour Odeh and Zainab Mashaqbeh, who work at the King Abdullah I University Hospital in Irbid Governorate, said they will educate patients with urinary problems on the importance of drinking water, and will hand out water bottles. 

The Royal Health Awareness Society said it will spread awareness among young people on the dangers of smoking, and the need to abide by the Public Health Law, which bans smoking in public spaces.

As part of their social responsibility, the administration of Al Khalidi Medical Centre provided the seasonal flu vaccine for free for those who visited on Wednesday.