UAP Attends WHO-DOH Consultative Workshop of Enhanced Hospital Safety Index Assessment Tools

PASAY CITY – The Hospital Safety Index occupies a central place in local, national and global efforts to improve the functioning of hospitals in emergencies and disasters. In emergencies, disasters and other crises, a community must be able to protect the lives and well-being of the affected population, particularly in the minutes and hours immediately following impact or exposure. The ability of health services to function without interruption in these situations is a matter of life and death.

The United Architects of the Philippines, through its representatives UAP Past National President, Arch. Prosperidad C. Luis and current Official Representative to Various Government Agencies and Past National Treasurer, Arch. Serge T. Chua, attended the WHO-DOH Consultative Workshop of Enhanced Hospital Safety Index Assessment Tools last August 31-September 2, 2016 and September 13-14, 2016 at Hotel Jen Manila, Pasay City.

The workshop aims to establish consensus-driven weights that reflect national and global experiences in health disaster preparedness. To address this need, the World Health Organization’s Safe Hospital initiative released the 2nd edition of its Hospital Safety Index Tool. This new tool would not only cover the structural and non-structural safety of the hospital but also the hazards that may affect the hospital facility as well their role in emergency and disaster management.

The attendance of UAP is significant in reviewing the global hospital safety index and adapting it according to Philippine context in line with assessment tool used previously by the Department of Health.