Vihiga: The County Government of Vihiga, in partnership with MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership (MCGL) and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), concluded a four-day quality improvement mentorship and training workshop at the Vihiga Teaching and Referral Hospital (VTRH), where healthcare workers were trained on improving the quality of services offered to patients in health facilities across the county.
According to Kenya News Agency, the sessions were facilitated by Institute for Health Improvement (IHI) Advisor Peter Mutanda and Senior Quality Improvement Advisor Befikadu Bitewulgn, who guided participants through various quality improvement methods and tools. The workshop brought together healthcare professionals from different health facilities in Vihiga County.
The training focused on helping participants understand how to identify challenges in healthcare delivery and find practical solutions to improve patient care. During the training, participants attended classroom sessions, where they learned the principles of quality improvement and how these principles can be applied in healthcare settings.
The workshop also included practical exercises that allowed participants to work on real issues affecting service delivery in their facilities. This gave them an opportunity to apply the knowledge they had gained. Healthcare workers were grouped into teams and tasked with developing quality improvement projects, aimed at addressing existing gaps in healthcare services.
At the end of the workshop, a participant, Peter Matanda, presented their projects, outlining the problems they intended to solve and the strategies they planned to use to achieve better results. Participants said the training had equipped them with valuable skills that would help them improve patient care, reduce challenges in service delivery and promote better health outcomes.
‘Vihiga is one of the three counties in Kenya, alongside Nairobi and Homa Bay, participating in the quality improvement initiative under the program,” Bitewulgn said. As part of the project, the Vihiga Teaching and Referral Hospital will serve as a learning facility, where quality improvement activities will be implemented and monitored.
The trainers assured participants that coaching and mentorship would continue even after the workshop to help ensure the successful implementation of the projects and sustain positive changes within the healthcare system. County health officials expressed optimism that the initiative will contribute to safer, more effective and patient-centred healthcare services, ultimately improving the well-being of area residents.
