ISQua in Mozambique & Ethiopia

Amazing progress in quality and safety in Maputo

After a two year break, I went back to Maputo with the HSE and Irish Aid to see how the 18 teams we had coached in QI methodology in 2016-2017 had fared. My last visit in February 2018 had indicated that the roots of quality improvement have been laid and that there was great potential for change.

However, two cyclones and the devastation that followed meant we were not able to return before now. The key question we hoped to answer was whether or not the progress made was sustained. Sustainability is always a challenge and even more so in countries under the challenges of natural and humanitarian crises.

When we arrived, I went straight to the workshop where the teams had assembled. Due to the distance, we are only going to meet the teams from hospitals and the MOH based in Maputo. Twelve teams presented their progress and as expected there was a bell curve distribution of results. I am pleased to report that most had made progress, where still improving and had progressed to other projects.

I want to highlight two in particular as they represent the best I have seen in any setting and provide lessons of leadership, vision, hope and courage.

Read the full article of ISQua's CEO, Peter Lachman's, time in Mozambique here https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/amazing-progress-quality-safety-maputo-peter-lachman/

Helping to make a difference in Ethiopia

Following our time in Maputo, David Weakliam and I made our way up the East African coast to Addis Ababa to meet with Loraine Murphy and Lisa Tolland from the HSE QI Division to the final day of the 8 month programme with12 hospitals in Ethiopia.

Based on our programme in Maputo, this initiative is in partnership with the MOH, HSE and Irish Aid and aims to build capacity, develop sustainability rather than dependency so as to provide a local solution to the challenges of quality in healthcare. Ethiopia has a well developed quality strategy and programme and we are fortunate that the MOH is so receptive to the new ideas and methodologies.

The teams all celebrated their learning from the previous sessions. The celebration was the end of the beginning as the teams will continue to work on making a difference. Many had already had great success: – five projects decreased waiting times for admission from the ED to inpatient settings and others improved medication safety and hypertension control or decreased clinic appointment waiting times. They are on the way to make a difference in service delivery. The next group of hospitals will be selected by the MOH and we will continue to support the programme so that there is sustainable change.

Read the full article of ISQua's CEO, Peter Lachman's, time in Ethiopia here https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/helping-make-difference-ethiopia-peter-lachman/