By Kuda Pembere
The implementation of the Japanese Kaizen 5S quality management sysyem has the potential to help Zimbabwe attain Universal Health Coverage given it improves the hospital working environment as some health facilities reported a record 83 weeks without a maternal mortality case.
This came out during the project for improvement of health services through 5S- Kaizen- TQM approach annual progress report meeting.
Officiating the meeting which ends tomorrow, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora said Government’s commitment to provide top notch health services is their top priority.
It gives me great pleasure to be here as the ministry reviews progress made thus far in the quality assurance and patient safety implementation project supported by the People’s Republic of Japan and JICA. Our National Development Strategy 1 as well as the National Health Strategy 2021 to 2025 are clear on the targets to be achieved as part of the roadmap to Vision 2030 and this can only be achieved with a top of the range health care service. And our commitment to this remains unquestionable,” he said.
He also expressed optimism they will achieve UHC.
“This meeting is an opportunity to recommit to establishing quality systems across all functions of the ministry as the foundation of effective, efficient and resilient health systems to ach¡ieve universal health coverage.
“Our quality assurance systems makes provisions to putting people at the centre of health care, committing us to empowering providers as well as recipients of care to take charge and to advocate for better service provision throughout their lives.
“I would like to affirm to you that health care is a human right for all people, not a privilege for those who can afford it.
“And the one hope we all share is to live a healthy life during our time.With quality health care, individuals and families can flourish, communities do prosper, and nations thrive. The question we all face is, can we realize that vision?
“Can we succeed where we have failed before? I believe the answer to that is a resounding yes, and I hope you will agree with me,” the Health Minister said.
The Health Minister however bemoaned the sad state of affairs in Government controlled health facilities.
“The fact that progress made thus far can best be described as uneven and at times unfair, both between and within our health facilities, cause for standardization of the quality initiatives.
“Where we receive many complaints and at times horrific narrations of how clients were managed and in some instances, demised in our facilities is a sobering thought. In this maze of events, even fellow health care staff and our loved ones have not been spared in this cataclysm. We have to continually improve. Let’s keep our eyes on the ball,” Dr Mombeshora said.
Dr Mombeshora acknowledged how patients fail to access lab tests, x-rays among other services in public health imstitutions.
“Imagine having tertiary and quaternary facilities without basic lab tests like full blood count and liver and renal function tests, x-rays, and where patients have to buy drugs to enable basic operations. This has no place in our Ministry.
“We must not contribute to pushing our citizens into extreme poverty by costs of paying for care out of their own pockets.
“Since independence in 1980, now 44 years, let’s continue to promote the vision of health for all,” he said.
Japanese Ambasaddor to Zimbabwe Mr Shinichi Yamanaka said the 5S Kaizen TQM initiative improves the hospital environment while motivating staff.
In this context, this JICA 5S-KAIZEN-TQM technical assistance project only requires limited resources, but can greatly improve the hospital environment, allowing the staff to take pride in their work, and increasing the quality of healthcare provided to patients.
“The 5Ss “Sort, Set, Shine. Standardize, and Sustain” allow the staff to efficiently organise and manage the hospital procedures. KAIZEN, which means “Change for better” allows solving problems. And TQM allows a change in the management approach of the hospital as a whole, aiming at patient satisfaction,” he said.
He noted how Japan prioritised UHC following the World War 2.
“The health sector has been dealing with even more enormous challenges in recent years, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and now cholera and polio. So, it is important that this sector obtains all the support that it needs.
“We need to aim for Universal Health Coverage for everyone, especially those who need it most. Japan understands the importance of Universal Health Coverage for sustainable development.
“After the Second World War, our country was all but ruined. But we prioritised UHC, and as a result people’s lives greatly improved and the country developed rapidly,” the Japanese Ambassador said.
According to Mr Wilbert Woberai, Deputy Director Quality in the Health Ministry, Zimbabwe witnessed 505 maternal deaths nationwide which he said was a reduction from the previous years owing to improved service delivery motivated by the Kaizen 5S.
