Bandar seri begawan: Brunei Darussalam is highly committed to ensuring the newborn healthcare system is accessible, of high quality, and safe. In a message in conjunction with World Patient Safety Day, the Minister of Health stressed that the ministry will continuously review and improve the country’s healthcare system by updating the implementation of policies, guidelines, and procedures in line with current developments, by adhering to high health standards. Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Doctor Awang Haji Mohammad Isham bin Haji Jaafar also emphasized that the ministry is instilling a continuous safety culture as one of the means of preventing harm to patients and ensuring that every voice is heard and every mistake acts as a lesson. This not only can prevent harm more effectively but also create services that are safer and more efficient.
According to Radio Television Brunei, the objectives of this year’s World Patient Safety Day are to raise global awareness of safety risks in pediatric and newborn care in all healthcare settings, emphasizing the specific needs of children, families, and caregivers. It also aims to mobilize governments, healthcare organizations, professional bodies, and civil society to implement sustainable strategies for safer care for newborns and children, as part of broader patient safety and quality initiatives. Furthermore, it seeks to empower parents, caregivers, and children in patient safety by promoting education, awareness, and active participation in care, and advocating for strengthening research on patient safety in pediatric and newborn care.
The Ministry of Health will continue to implement national strategies to ensure a high-quality and safe healthcare system for all levels of society in the country. This includes strengthening clinical practices according to international standards to prevent harm from occurring, empowering parents and guardians with sufficient knowledge in their children’s healthcare, improving communication and collaboration between health professionals, and utilizing technology and data, including national health applications, to improve monitoring and early detection of risks.
With the theme, “Safe Care for Every Newborn and Every Child” and the slogan “Patient safety from the start!”, the emphasis is on the importance of increasing stronger measures to protect newborns and children from any injury while receiving care or treatment.