Health Ministry Highlights Lived Experiences for World Patient Safety Day

Jamaica joins the rest of the world in observing World Patient Safety Day today (September 17) under the theme ‘Safe Care for Health’, with this year’s observance focusing on patient safety for persons living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

The Ministry of Health and Wellness is using the 2026 observance to highlight the experiences of people living with NCDs as they navigate the healthcare system.

The Ministry has adopted the national theme, ‘The Lived Experience: Safely Navigating the Non-Communicable Disease Care Landscape’, which seeks to bring greater attention to the potential risks and challenges faced by patients accessing care.

Clinical Quality Assurance Coordinator in the Ministry’s Health Services Planning and Integration Branch, Dr. Richard Musaazi, told JIS News that the observance provides an opportunity to examine ways of preventing avoidable harm to patients.

“Patient safety really has to do with all the activities, the institutions and processes that are geared towards preventing harm to patients as they navigate healthcare,” he explained. Dr. Musaazi noted that persons living with NCDs often require care from multiple healthcare professionals and may encounter challenges at various stages of service delivery.

He cited the example of an elderly patient travelling a long distance simply to refill a prescription, only to encounter difficulties locating the appropriate service area or navigating facilities that may not adequately accommodate persons with mobility challenges.

Dr. Musaazi indicated that the Ministry’s main activity for the observance is a stakeholders’ technical symposium, bringing together patients, healthcare providers and policymakers to discuss patient safety in NCD care.

A key feature will be a four-part panel discussion. The first panel will comprise persons living with NCDs, who will share their lived experiences and highlight the challenges they encounter while accessing care.

The other panels will comprise front-line healthcare workers, secondary-care providers and policymakers from various areas of the Ministry.

Participants will include community health aides, public health nurses, nutritionists, pharmacists, nephrologists, ophthalmologists, and rehabilitation and palliative-care specialists, along with representatives from the Ministry’s Non-Communicable Diseases Unit and Health Promotion Branch.

Approximately 50 participants from across the island are expected to attend the symposium in person, while additional stakeholders will have the opportunity to participate virtually via Zoom.

Dr. Musaazi said the discussions are intended to provide a valuable learning and sensitisation opportunity for stakeholders.

“At the end of the day, we want it to be a learning moment… a sensitisation atmosphere so that everyone understands the importance of upholding the safety of our patients as they navigate our landscape of care,” he stated.

The Ministry will also share information from the observance across its social media platforms to extend the conversation to a wider audience and raise awareness about the importance of patient safety.

Dr. Musaazi said the approach is intended to ensure that the voices and experiences of patients are heard alongside those of healthcare providers and policymakers, thereby supporting ongoing efforts to improve the safety, quality and delivery of care for persons living with NCDs.