The Ministry of Health has today launched the 5S-KAIZEN – Total Quality Management (TQM), an initiative supported by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) with an aim of improving healthcare services in the country.
The 5S-KAIZEN-TQM was introduced in the country in 2007 and for the past years health workers and Hospital Managers from Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Mzuzu Central Hospital, Mzimba South District Hospital and Malamulo Mission Hospital have been participating in JIKA organized trainings conducted in Japan, Tanzania and Egypt.
As a result of their involvements in JIKA trainings, the four hospitals were selected as the benchmark hospitals to become the centre of excellence for the KAIZEN approach in the country.
Speaking when presiding over the opening ceremony of the seminar on 5S-KAIZEN-TQM under the theme sharing the experiences of KAIZEN benchmarking hospitals, Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda mentioned a number of importance that the 5S approach will bring to the health sector in the country.
“As you well know, the 5S approach is to create a conducive physical working environment to improve productivity, efficiency and safety. In addition to improving the physical working environment through 5S, as the next step, work processes need to be reviewed and improved to provide quality services”
“KAIZEN is one of the methodologies for continuous quality improvement that is conducive to the improvement of work processes and systems through evidence-based problem solving” She said
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Chiponda has further urged Departments, Directors of Health and Social Services to learn from the achievements and challenges experienced at the KAIZEN benchmark hospitals during their activities and use these methodologies for improving the quality of services in healthcare facilities.
Japanese Ambassador to Malawi, IWAKIRI Satoshi promised that Japanese Government will continue their efforts to support the healthcare sector in Malawi.
He further urged Malawian counterparts to take action to expand and enhance the 5N-KAIZEN approach to provide better health services.
On his part, JIKA chief representative in Malawi Kazihiro TAMBARA believes the initiative has what it takes to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the health sector.
The 5S and KAIZEN were originally developed in TOYOTA manufacturing company in Japan but currently they are used to improve quality in many sectors, including the health sector.
