Reflections on quality
A personal blog of the Novacare Hospital CEO
Post 1 of 3 in this series - Published, October 22, 2025
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE THROUGH THE AUDIO PLAYERSince June 2024, I have been working with Novacare Hospital Islamabad. My decision to join was inspired by the vision of the hospital’s founders and funders, who are determined to create something truly unique in Pakistan’s healthcare landscape. Having worked in Pakistan previously, I developed a deep appreciation for the country. Despite its challenges, Pakistan has immense potential—in its people, in its resilience, and in its resources.
At Novacare, the objective is not only to establish a state-of-the-art hospital equipped with advanced technology and a patient-centered design. The ambition is much broader: to transform private healthcare in Pakistan and set new benchmarks for service delivery. Our aspiration is clear - we want to become one of the best in Pakistan.
In the coming series of reflections, we will explore the concept of quality of care as envisioned at Novacare. We will define what quality means in-depth, and how we intend to design, develop, and embed these principles into every aspect of our practice.
In Pakistan, the public in general views hospitals with a sense of skepticism and concern. Many individuals feel that hospitals—whether private, government-run, or charitable—lack transparency in their operations. From the perspective of patients and families, hospitals can often appear inaccessible and unapproachable institutions. Community members frequently raise questions such as: Do hospitals genuinely understand and respond to patients’ suffering? Are services affordable and equitable? How effectively are infection control measures implemented? Are financial considerations overshadowing patient care? Is care being delivered in a personalized and compassionate manner? Why are waiting areas overcrowded? Are patients being treated with dignity and respect, or simply as numbers? Why do they not explain what medication I have to take and why? These are the issues and concerns that patients commonly express when discussing their experiences and expectations of healthcare institutions.
In Pakistan there is a common understanding that hospitals which are accredited by an international body deliver good quality. Unfortunately only a handful of hospitals carry a seal of approval by such an international body, whereas for example in the UAE such a seal is mandatory to maintain the license to operate. Also, in India, most larger private hospitals carry such a seal as a proof of quality.
Naturally, Novacare will pursue Joint Commission International (JCI) and College of American Pathologists (CAP) accreditation[1]. These accreditations will validate our adherence to internationally recognized standards: from facility management and patient-centered practices to medication safety and compliance with the International Patient Safety Goals (IPSG). JCI, for example, measures conformity with over 1,300 standards, while CAP applies a similar framework to ensure the quality and reliability of laboratory services.
But does accreditation alone prove quality of care? The honest answer is: not entirely. Accreditation demonstrates that we comply with established standards, but it does not, by itself, provide a full picture of clinical outcomes. To truly measure how good our care is, we will need to engage in ongoing research, data collection, and performance measurement at the individual clinical level. This is a complex and demanding task, and we will explore these challenges in detail in future contributions.
Before delving deeper into the technical aspects of quality, however, I want to share a fundamental insight that has taken me 25 years in hospital practice to fully understand. It is the foundation upon which all quality of care must be built:
Every person—whether sick or healthy—who walks through the doors of a hospital carries fear. Fear that a disease, an injury, or a failing organ may require treatment, a procedure, or surgery. Fear that their life, or the life of a loved one, may be disrupted. This human emotion—this vulnerability—is at the core of the hospital experience.
Recognizing and responding to that fear with empathy, compassion, and respect is the true starting point of quality of care. Every other element of quality builds upon this foundation. Whether we are physicians, nurses, housekeepers, receptionists, or managers, our shared responsibility is to acknowledge that fear and alleviate it through our words, our actions, and our presence.
At Novacare, this is the essence of quality of care. We embrace the famous quote of Donabedian (1919-2000) who is one of the great thinkers about quality: “The secret of quality is love”.
Hans Kedzierski, CEO
[1] These accreditations are like a diploma, certifying that the hospital meets a lot of standards that are internationally agreed. The diploma is awarded after a thorough weeklong inspection visit by a team of international experts.
“The secret of quality is love”