Egypt Healthcare Authority Celebrates World Patient Safety Week with Participation from 105 Facilities Across Universal Health Insurance Governorates
Healthcare Authority Highlights: Awareness and Training Activities to Promote a Safety Culture, Improve Quality of Care, and Encourage Incident Reporting Among the Key Themes of the Week
Dr. Ahmed El-Sobky Announces Key Findings from the 2023–2024 Incident Reporting (OVR) Report: 200% Increase in Reporting of Minor Incidents and 500% Increase in Reporting of Serious Events, Reflecting Enhanced Accuracy in Critical Case Reporting
Chairman Commends the Development of the Authority’s Digital Adverse Event Reporting System (E-OVR) as a Key Component of Its Digital Transformation Strategy
Dr. El-Sobky: Improved Reporting Culture Led to a 75% Drop in Major Events—Result of Enhanced Awareness and Training Programs
“Understand Your File” and “Patient Safety Bundles” Among Flagship Initiatives Supporting Safer Healthcare Practices
The Egypt Healthcare Authority (EHA), chaired by Dr. Ahmed El-Sobky, General Supervisor of the Universal Health Insurance Project, celebrated World Patient Safety Week across its healthcare facilities, in coordination with the General Department of Quality and Infection Control at the headquarters, and quality departments across its affiliated governorates.
According to an official statement, 105 healthcare facilities — including hospitals, centers, and family health units — took part in the week’s activities. These included awareness campaigns and training sessions focused on reinforcing a culture of patient safety, improving healthcare quality, and encouraging staff to report adverse events as a tool for risk analysis and medical error reduction.
As part of the campaign, the Authority launched a nationwide survey titled “Your Decision Saves Lives,” which garnered the participation of around 6,000 healthcare professionals. The initiative aimed to increase awareness about the importance of incident reporting in building a safer patient care environment and enhancing the overall patient experience.
Dr. El-Sobky presented key findings from the 2023–2024 OVR (Occurrence Variance Reporting) annual report, noting a 200% increase in the reporting of minor incidents, signaling growing awareness among healthcare teams of the importance of reporting even low-severity events to support risk prevention strategies and promote safer environments within EHA facilities.
He praised the significant advancement of the electronic OVR platform (E-OVR) as a flagship digital transformation project, noting its contribution to enhancing care quality and patient safety across affiliated institutions.
The report also indicated a 75% reduction in serious medical events, directly linked to the Authority’s training and awareness programs. These initiatives focused on proper event classification, root cause analysis, and the implementation of preventive strategies, ensuring safer and more reliable care.
In a notable development, the report showed a 500% increase in reporting of high-severity incidents, highlighting a marked improvement in the accuracy and depth of critical case documentation. This allowed for better analysis, more targeted safety interventions, and improvements in patient tracking, identification protocols, and fall prevention.
Dr. El-Sobky also highlighted several ongoing initiatives, such as:
"Understand Your File", which provides targeted training for physicians, nurses, and pharmacists on proper medical documentation and record-keeping, alongside the creation of educational content to promote a culture of safety.
"Patient Safety Bundles", which focus on developing preventive protocols for managing the most frequently occurring adverse events, with regular follow-up to evaluate the effectiveness of implemented safety measures.
In closing, Dr. El-Sobky reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to advancing a culture of safety within its healthcare network. He emphasized that promoting a proactive incident reporting environment, risk analysis, and preemptive action remains a cornerstone of the EHA’s mission to align with Egypt Vision 2030. The goal is to deliver a globally competitive healthcare model rooted in quality, safety, and integrated patient-centered care.
