All the units of Aga Khan Hospital Services are now certified for compliance to 1SO 9001:2000 Quality Management System (QMS) by the agency.
The Aga Khan Health Service, Pakistan (AKHS,P) started work towards the arduous task of certification for ISO 9001:2000 QMS in its clinical units of the south region.
The accreditation process was initiated in the Aga Khan Hospital for Women, Karimabad and the Aga Khan Diagnostic and Day Surgery Centre, Karimabad in 2001.
Documentation of procedures and protocols started after initial training and orientation of management staff. AIV-Vincotte International, an audit agency for quality based in Belgium, carried out the pre-assessment audit in both the centres in November 2003 and the final certification audit on December 5 and 6, 2003.
The Aga Khan Hospital for Women and the Age Khan Diagnostic and Day Surgery Centre, Karimabad became the first clinical units of AKHS,P certified for compliance of ISO 9001: 2000 Quality Management System in December 2003.
After successful certification of the Karimabad clinical units, work was initiated in the Age Khan Hospitals for women at Garden and Kharadar, Diagnostic Centres at Garden and Kharadar and the Age Khan Maternal and Child Care and Diagnostic Centre, Hyderabad, Initial orientation and training were completed in January 2004.
Aziz Jan General Manager, Karachi and Balochistan and Dr Sarfaraz Akhtar Hospital Administrator Karimabad clinical units, working as Executive Quality Management Representative for all clinical units in the south region, with the help of the team of Karimabad clinical units guided and assisted the teams in Garden, Kharadar and Hyderabad throughout the preparation period.
After completion of documentation, pre-certification audits of these units were carried out in May and early June 2004 and certification audits in end June and first week of July.
All of these were recommended for certification by the auditors at the closing meeting of audits.