Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TCI#Health, March 26th, 2024 – Recognizing the need to improve the regulation of the healthcare sector, the government has created the Health Regulation Authority and they’re hoping to be fully operational by April 1, 2024.
The HRA exists to enforce government-mandated standards across healthcare disciplines and protect patients. Representatives explained that the HRA will be data-driven, using information collected to improve services.
The HRA intends to have a three-part system that respects the challenges of institutions, the health of the consumer and standards that must be met.
“[We’ll] cover both public and private healthcare facilities. These would include hospitals, clinics, blood banks, medical spas, laboratories, pharmacies, imaging, dental clinics and much more,” a rep explained.
In order to properly regulate facilities, the HRA will focus on several pillars to guide their work, namely,
- Information Provision: ensuring information is adequately provided by healthcare facilities
- Personnel management: making sure staff are qualified
- Proper infrastructure: making sure that medical infrastructure is fit for purpose
- Quality care and patient safety
- Equipment and materials: ensuring that they are fit for purpose
- Management of information
- Risk management: ensuring that medical facilities have proper safety plans and rules in place
- Research: ensuring that there are adequate consent and authorizations for research
Representatives also described patient rights, the first and foremost of which are communication and participation. This dictates that explanations should be clear and easily understandable allowing patients to grasp it.
Patients should also be made aware of their estimated healthcare costs, personal risks and benefits of procedures.
Confidentiality is another right of the patient along with Access to Medical Records. During the entire process of medical care residents are entitled to Respect, the HRA says.
Safety from risks in the healthcare facility is also a right of the patient. They should be protected from infection, falls and other hazards
The final right is the right to give feedback and complaints.
Turks and Caicos residents now have several new ways to make those complaints. An online digital platform has been created where residents or their appointed proxies can submit feedback, good or bad.
Other routes include, email, telephone reporting, in person visits or sending a letter.
The HRA says it welcomes visits; it is located at Town Centre Mall in downtown Providenciales.
