The IHF is awarding 102 hospitals across 27 countries special recognition for demonstrating initiative, agility, and an incredible capacity to innovate under extraordinary circumstances in response to the global pandemic that has upended healthcare this year.

“One of our motivations in creating this recognition programme is to highlight the diversity and agility of the hospital industry in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic forced hospitals to develop, implement and adopt new ways to operate and many of these changes have accelerated positive transformation in the delivery of care,” said IHF Chief Executive Officer Ronald Lavater.

The IHF has identified three organisations of note that instituted changes in the provision of healthcare, from technological innovations in diagnosis and treatment, to restructuring workflow systems and doctor-patient interactions. These facilities are:

• Manila Doctors Hospital, Philippines: In an effort to provide accessible service to the deaf community in the Philippines, who are already known to make less frequent visits to healthcare facilities to do inadequate communication services, social distancing issues aside, this hospital trained its staff in Filipino Sign Language (FSL), ensuring each work shift and department has one person fluent in FSL. They provided teleconferencing consultations with FSL-capable doctors, and have also tailored prescription instructions for the hearing impaired.
• KK Women’s & Children’s Hospital, Singapore: Clinicians in this Singapore hospital developed a cost-efficient ventilator for Covid-19 patients that can be mass produced swiftly and allows for remote monitoring. Called ‘SG-Inspire’, the ventilator is made from readily available components, with five times lower than that of conventional ventilators. SG-Inspire can serve as a resource for regions less equipped to handle the pandemic. The prototype was introduced in July and is in the process of being licensed so it can be rolled out to more consumers. 
• Hospital Dr. Nélio Mendonça, Portugal: This Madeira hospital is part of a community-driven approach to combatting the pandemic, which, thanks to its strict border control, contact-tracing and isolations, has helped Madeira remain one of the safest places in Portugal, with the lowest infection rates. The hospital has also created a dedicated multidisciplinary psychological support team for its patients and professionals.

“We want this [15 December] to be a day for all hospital employees and providers. Their selfless dedication is more than worthy of honour and recognition,” said Lavater. “They have risen to the challenge under extreme circumstances and have demonstrated the highest commitment to their patients and communities. Let today be the day that we honour the men and women who risked their lives to care for Covid-19 patients, who worked endless hours and faced physical and mental exhaustion and lastly, those who lost their lives in service.”

The IHF’s full list of recognised hospitals and healthcare facilities can be seen here. All of these were submitted back in July as part of its International Hospital Federation Beyond the Call of Duty for Covid-19 Program.

Back in November, the IHF hosted the IHF Virtual Forum, in which it heralded collaboration as a key mechanism that will help move the global healthcare community forward beyond the challenges of Covid-19.