Cebu Doctors’ Hospital gets accreditation from UK agency

Sunday, April 24, 2011

CEBU Doctors’ University Hospital (CDUH) has been given full accreditation for two years by United Kingdom (UK)-based healthcare company QHA Trent.

CDUH officials said the accreditation will not only help boost the hospital’s image but also Cebu’s stature as a medical tourism destination.

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In a recent press conference, Oscar Tuason, hospital administrator of the CebuDoc Group of Hospitals, said QHA Trent is the right accreditation body to go for as it is anchored on a development approach that ensures an ongoing quality process. The accreditation also allows the hospital not to be dependent on the standards of other countries.

Patient-centric

Tuason said the hospital was introduced to several accreditation systems but found QHA Trent fitting for a local hospital since the accreditation scheme was patient-centric.

CDUH president and medical director Potenciano Larazabal Jr. said they wanted Cebu Doctors’ to be like hospitals in Hong Kong, which are mostly Trent-accredited. He said QHA Trent has adapted to local needs and situations.

Tuason reported that since last year, the hospital staff underwent a series of trainings to enhance their knowledge and improve patient services. He said the hospital is currently undergoing major renovations to provide the best health care and environment to its patients.

CDUH said it is the first hospital in the country and in Southeast Asia to attain the QHA Trent accreditation for two years.

“With the Philippines looking increasingly to promote medical tourism, the need for local hospitals to obtain international accreditation is increasingly important. The accreditation by QHA Trent should raise the profile of Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital internationally as it seeks to attract a bigger share of the growing market of visitors looking for affordable but quality medical treatment in the Philippines,” said British ambassador Stephen Lillie in a statement.

Officials said the QHA Trent scheme minimizes risk in the hospitals and clinics and maximizes the safety of patients, staff and general public anywhere in the world. Its method of assessment is based on UK’s clinical governance methodology.

Safeguards

“The accreditation by QHA Trent ensures that the hospital has all the safeguards, policies and procedures in place to ensure high quality health care,” said Dr. Tim O’Carroll, chairman of the QHA Trent Accreditation award panel.

Even if nurses and other medical workers continue to leave for employment abroad, Larrazabal said the hospital has enough health care professionals.

“We have programs to deal with the huge gap. Of course, we can’t stop them from going abroad but the hospital offers training programs to ensure our hospital staff is well equipped with skills and knowledge,” he said.

Hospital officials also said they are not looking at raising hospital rates for now despite the accreditation.