WHO experts facilitate HSI workshop sessions in Tripoli. ©WHO Libya
1 December 2024, Tripoli, Libya – Between 27 and 28 November, 42 senior health and disaster response officers from public hospitals in Libya were trained in the use of the hospital safety index (HSI) tool during a hands-on training workshop organized by the Health Emergency Directorate (HED) of the Ministry of Health. The 2-day workshop in Tripoli was supported by WHO experts from the 3 levels of the Organization – WHO headquarters in Geneva, the Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean in Cairo and the Country Office in Tripoli.
Participants were trained to identify hazards that pose a risk to hospital safety, assess the structural, non-structural and functional elements used to calculate the HSI, identify the core components of effective emergency and disaster management and systematize the evaluation and analysis of hospital findings to enhance resilience.
The Director of the Emergency Health Directorate at the Ministry of Health during the closing session of the HSI Workshop in Libya. ©WHO Libya
“Strengthening hospital resilience to all types of hazards while maintaining essential services is a key initiative that WHO is actively promoting, particularly in the post-COVID era. The Regional Office, in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), has developed an operational guide to enhance hospital resilience. A crucial component of the initiative is assessing hospital vulnerability using the HSI tool comprising 151 elements,” said advisor to the Universal Health Services department at the Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Hamid Ravaghi.
The tool provides a snapshot of the probability that a hospital can continue to function in emergency situations and is an important first step in prioritizing investment in making hospitals safer, explained Dr Ravaghi.
"While hospital safety in Libya has improved compared to previous years due to continuous disaster prevention and preparedness activities there is still work to be done to reach the highest levels of safety,” said National Emergency Officer at the WHO Country Office in Tripoli Dr Mohamad AbuKalish. "The hospital safety index will be useful in prioritizing administrative and civil interventions in decision- and policy-making."
The initiative will help identify strengths and challenges and, by providing a safe environment based on the immediate reporting of incidents and continuous learning from experiences, aid in the development of plans to ensure the safety of patients and the health workforce in health facilities, said HED Director Dr Mohamed Al-Ghzeiwi. By improving performance and ensuring the delivery of high-quality health care, it helps build patient satisfaction and confidence in the national health system.
WHO is committed to supporting Libya strengthen hospital resilience across the country through the application of the hospital-resilience operation guide.
Media contact:
Yahya Bouzo,
Communications Officer, WHO Libya Country Office.
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