The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has awarded Mulago National Referral Hospital (MNRH) an Integrated Management Systems (IMS) certification for ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and ISO 45001:2018, making it the first public hospital in Uganda to attain this prestigious ISO certification.
The country’s largest national referral hospital has been certified with quality management systems ISO 9001:2015, Environmental Systems Management, ISO 14001:2015, and Occupational Health and Safety ISO 45001:2018 during an award ceremony at the UNBS head offices in Bweyogerere. This is a real game changer in the provision of quality health care services in Uganda and beyond. The milestone has the potential of improving medical tourism in the country.
According to the Executive Director of UNBS, Eng James Kasigwa, the certification affirms that the services at MNRH consistently adhere to established quality and International Standards.
“This is a great achievement for the country and gives confidence to the public and clients in public health system. The certification will enable MNRH to ensure the safety of both clients and medical practitioners, streamline risk management processes and foster evidence-based decision making thus enhancing efficiency and improved service delivery at our national referral hospital.” Eng. Kasigwa noted.
He urged other public hospitals in the country to emulate Mulago National Referral Hospital and pursue international certification in order to elevate their level of service and ensure the safety of the consumers of Uganda’s medical services.
Dr. Rosemary Kusaba Byanyima, Executive Director of MNRH noted that the new development reflects the hospital’s unwavering commitment to delivering quality healthcare, ensuring a healthier and productive population.
Dr. Byanyima commended her predecessors for initiating the journey of ISO certification about a decade ago, and thanked UNBS for scheduling the hospital for different audits and guiding them through the whole process needed by the hospital to bridge the identified non-conformities.
Mulago’s remarkable achievement sets a new benchmark for public health facilities across Uganda, inspiring a culture of quality and excellence within the healthcare sector.
UNBS is accredited and internationally recognized to offer ISO 9001 Quality management system, and ISO 22000 Food Safety Management Systems certification. Certificates issued by UNBS are internationally recognized and traceable to the global database of accredited certifications: IAF CertSearch https://www.iafcertsearch.org/ that allows users to verify the validity and authenticity of their certificates.
An Integrated Management System (IMS) combines multiple management processes, such as quality, environment, health and safety standards, to streamline processes, reduce cost of duplication, thus enhancing efficiency and organizational performance.
Service standards empower organizations to improve performance, meet customer expectations and enable the public sector to transform bureaucratic processes into efficient, customer-focused systems that deliver improved products and services to citizens.
Working with UNBS for ISO certification reduces the cost of doing business for companies in Uganda because the ISO standards and certification can be acquired at 10% discount as compared to directly purchasing them at ISO.
