Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA) developed the new guidelines to identify healthcare institutions that are uniquely focused on mitigating Covid-19 infection risks for medical travel patients and companions throughout the entire care continuum, including providing guidance for travel, as well as interactions with the healthcare organisation, hotel and ground transportation.

Ratchaphruek Hospital is the third hospital in the world and the second hospital in Thailand to achieve this recognition. The others being Bumrungrad International Hospital in Thailand and Prince Sultan Cardiac Center Al Hassa in Saudi Arabia.

Building patient confidence during challenging times

“Due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, currently and at least in the near future, there are varying degrees of concern about risk and safety for patients and their families to travel for medical purposes. I believe the GHA Covid-19 program is one of the most important tools for organisations to implement systematic action guidelines that help to mitigate patient/family pain points and build better experience and trust,” said Dr Teerawat Srinakarin, Ratchaphruek Hospital's CEO, who went on to thank a number of GHA staff who he said had helped the hospital ‘build patient confidence during these challenging moments’.
 

Demonstrating best practices designed to keep patients safe

The Certification of Conformance with GHA Covid-19 Guidelines is a three-year certification with annual reviews. GHA explains that it demonstrates to patients, buyers and other key stakeholders that a medical travel programme’s (located within a hospital or ambulatory centre) operational protocols, practices and procedures have undergone an external review and reflect international best practices designed to keep traveling patients safe as operations resume during or post Covid-19.

Karen Timmons, GHA CEO explained that the Covid-19 Certification of Conformance helps increase patient trust in an organisation by demonstrating that a medical travel programme has implemented operational protocols, practices, and procedures that have undergone an external review and reflect international best practices designed to keep traveling patients safe.

Joint accreditation medical travel accreditation programme launches in India

In October, GHA and Indian organisation the Quality Accreditation Institute announced a joint accreditation programme aimed at hospitals and clinics in India that will allow them to identify as healthcare providers that prioritise the patient experience for medical travel.