ABU DHABI // Five healthcare facilities were ordered by the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (Haad) to temporarily close after violations were identified by a quality auditing team.
The violations included failure to comply with room disinfection standards, lack of cleanliness, failure to comply with medical devices quality control standards, mixing sterile and non-sterile tools and storing medical files inappropriately.
“Haad’s decision aims to safeguard patients and also to allow healthcare facilities to take necessary corrective actions,” said Dr Khaled Al Jaberi, Haad’s director of health regulation division. “Complying with standards is key to improving quality of healthcare services in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.”
Haad’s audit team also registered four violations against health professionals for practising before being issued final licences from the health authority and issuing sick leave certificates frequently without using the electronic system or diagnosis of patients. Pharmacists were issued 33 violations for dispensing medicine without a prescription and allowing non-licensed pharmacist assistants to dispense medicine without a prescription. Pharmacists were also in violation of “non-existence of pharmacist in charge during working hours”, according to Haad.
Auditors regulated by the Department of Health Regulation periodically visit medical and pharmaceutical facilities in the emirate. Haad also provides awareness and educational workshops to educate professionals about its standards, clarify violations and find ways to avoid them as a means of developing practices and finding solutions to improve the quality of healthcare services, the authority said.
Haad said 1,331 audit visits were carried out in the first half of this year. Earlier this year, Haad also closed 16 healthcare facilities for compliance issues. The same healthcare facilities were re-opened after taking the necessary corrective actions.
Haad declined to disclose the names of the healthcare facilities ordered to temporarily close and did not say when the closures took effect.
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