Lagos, Nigeria — The management of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) has been tasked with implementing a robust quality improvement framework and fostering a strong patient safety culture to enhance healthcare delivery.
The charge was given by a healthcare management professional, Dr. Olufunke Ijimakin, during the 6th Annual Scientific Conference of the hospital held on Thursday in Lagos.
The conference, themed “Quality Improvement and Patient Safety in Hospital Services,” with a sub-theme on the “Role of Artificial Intelligence in Hospital Services,” brought together healthcare experts to address critical gaps in service delivery.
Delivering the keynote address, Ijimakin described patient safety as “everybody’s business,” stressing the need for hospitals to embed safety consciousness into their operational systems and workforce culture to minimise medical errors.
She noted that medical errors remain a global concern, revealing that about three million deaths occur annually due to such errors, with nearly 70 per cent deemed preventable.
“Patient harm is a very serious matter. It is better to prepare and prevent incidents from occurring in order to avoid compensations, apologies, and other burdens associated with medical errors,” she said.
Ijimakin emphasised that hospitals must prioritise preventing avoidable harm while institutionalising continuous quality improvement strategies to achieve better patient outcomes.
In his remarks, the Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, reaffirmed the hospital’s commitment to quality service delivery, highlighting the establishment of a Quality Control Assurance Committee three years ago.
He noted that with increasing government investment in healthcare infrastructure, hospitals must complement such efforts by ensuring measurable improvements in service delivery.
“With the investment government is making in healthcare, we must render services according to standard. There is no way to know whether you are improving if you do not measure performance,” Adeyemo said.
Also speaking, the Special Guest of Honour, Prof. Saad Ahmed, underscored ongoing government efforts to strengthen healthcare services, noting that advanced procedures such as kidney transplants and open-heart surgeries are now available within the country.
Ahmed, who is also Chairman of the Committee of Chief Medical Directors of Federal Tertiary Hospitals, disclosed that plans were underway to compile a comprehensive directory of healthcare services nationwide to guide patients.
He further stressed that quality improvement and patient safety require a holistic approach, including prioritising staff welfare to sustain high standards of care.
Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Emmanuel Jeje, called for increased research among students of LUTH schools, announcing plans to reward outstanding academic work annually.
He noted that research plays a vital role in improving healthcare quality and urged practitioners to consistently prioritise patient safety.
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Earlier, Chairman of the Scientific Conference and Local Organising Committee, Prof. Rufus Ojewola, described the conference theme as timely and critical.
“As healthcare professionals, we are entrusted with lives, and every decision we make carries profound implications. This conference provides a platform to evaluate gaps and implement strategies for safer, high-quality care,” he said.
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