King Faysal Hospital (KFH) in Kigali is set to be internationally accredited this year, by the Council for Health Service Accreditation of Southern Africa (COHSASA), officials have announced.

The accreditation process started last year after the Ministry of Health approved a strategic plan to drive the hospital to a world-class "centre of excellence” status.

"By the end of this month, results for the current survey that started last year will be out. Since our hospital has an ethics committee that is determined to ensure that all staff performs to the expectations, we are sure that between June and December we will be internationally accredited,” Clare Karibika, the Director of Continuing Quality Improvement at KFH told The New Times.

According to Karibika, provisional results already show that there is a big improvement in the hospital’s performance in relation to a baseline survey that had already been carried out at the same hospital a few years ago.

While explaining the criteria, she added that COHSASA carries out internal and external assessments, guided by the council’s standards.

In general, all services provided by the hospital are evaluated for performance including cross-cutting services, such as management and leadership, access to care and management of information. Others also include prevention and control of infections, health and safety, quality management and patient and family rights.

"Acquiring this accreditation implies that KFH will have reached international standards of performance in relation to health services rendered. COHSASA also accredits hospitals in South Africa so, when accredited, we will be at the same standard with those hospitals,” Karibika asserts.

In relation to this accreditation procedure, she also lauded government for its continuous support rendered to KFH adding that a good health system breeds a good working environment which also attracts investors. This accreditation is therefore in line with the country’s overall vision for economic and social growth.

King Faisal Hospital, Kigali, is Rwanda’s premium referral hospital with 145 beds. It was founded in 1991 and operates as an acute care facility with full-time specialists in most major fields. 

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