Aga Khan University Hospital earns global accreditation as healthcare provider

KENYA – The Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi has received accreditation from the Joint Commission International (JCI) for the fourth time for offering high quality, safe access to healthcare services.

The re-accreditation was a culmination of a rigorous audit process based on a review of the hospital’s compliance with 291 standards and 1,199 measurable elements reaffirming that that the hospital meets the highest global standards as a healthcare institution including its structure, processes and outcomes.

In July 2013, Aga Khan University Hospital was first accredited by the Joint Commission International in becoming the first hospital in East Africa to receive the coveted accreditation and later re-accredited in 2016 and 2019.

In more than 100 countries, JCI partners with hospitals, clinics, and academic medical centers, health systems and agencies, government ministries, academia, and international advocates to promote rigorous standards of care and to provide solutions for achieving peak performance.

The hospital’s laboratory was also awarded the coveted South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) accreditation in 2021 becoming the first hospital laboratory in East and Central Africa to attain this qualification, it has been re-accredited annually since then.

Aga Khan University Hospital CEO Rashid Khalani said that the re-accreditation is an external validation that the healthcare institution is providing the highest quality of patient care and safety as measured by international standards and benchmarked against the best hospitals globally.

The accreditation process involves the analysis of healthcare delivery processes and documentation including infection control, standards of physician practice, patient experience, medication management, the safety of care and the qualifications and competencies of staff and physicians.

Joint Commission International works to improve patient safety and quality of health care in the international community by offering education, publications, advisory services and international accreditation and certification.

According to the US-based JCI, successful completion of a rigorous accreditation process is a signal to patients that a health care organization has undergone a rigorous performance assessment and met a robust series of qualifications in patient safety and quality of care.

The Joint Commission International recently re-accredited the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi for the fourth time involving an audit that analyzed the level of safety and maintenance of the facilities and equipment, disaster preparedness, patient education and the multidisciplinary care of patients.

The Aga Khan University Hospital has not only received institutional accreditation but has also had two of its clinical programs accredited by the independent not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies health care organizations globally.

“Delivering quality care with good clinical outcomes is part of our DNA and is what differentiates us from other healthcare institutions. The independent and rigorous audit by JCI ensures transparency and openness and that nothing is hidden or thrown under the carpet,” CEO Rashid Khalani stated.

In August 2020, the Aga Khan University Hospital was accredited as a Centre of Excellence for the management of heart attacks making it the first hospital in sub-Saharan Africa and second health facility in Africa to achieve this kind of certification.

The hospital was also accredited as a Centre of Excellence for the management of acute stoke in June 2021 making it the first hospital in Africa to receive the accreditation from the Joint Commission International.

The Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi has set the standard for comprehensive healthcare and modern medical education in East Africa earning great reputation as a leading medical institution and teaching hospital in the region and beyond.

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