JICA Botswana; KAIZEN improves hospitals - aiming to enhance quality of healthcare services -

Utilize in the kickoff event to begin 5S/KAIZEN activities.

The kickoff event 5S/KAIZEN activities in Gaborone.

Under the COVID19 situation in Botswana, JICA Botswana entrusted The Botswana National Productivity Centre (BNPC) to introduce KAIZEN activities in a model hospital as the one of our contribution measures to the Botswana Government.

On September 17th, 2020, I screened JICA-Net multimedia-based learning material "What is KAIZEN? Improving Quality of Healthcare" (external link) in the kickoff event of 5S/KAIZEN activities in Gaborone, gave a presentation about KAIZEN activities in hospital field. About 30 participants from Ministry of Health & Wellness and the hospital watched the movie.

What is "5S-KAIZEN-TQM"?

KAIZEN, mainly used in manufacture sector, is an approach to reduce waste and irregularities in the continuous process led by employee for solving their workplace issues, and aiming for work efficiency and quality management within limited resources.

JICA introduced KAIZEN into medical field in developing countries and summarized an approach "5S-KAIZEN-TQM" (Total Quality Management) for improving healthcare, which begin with introducing 5S (Sort, Set, Shine, Standardize, Sustain),and TQM as the ultimate goal. As of 2015, 5S-KAIZEN-TQM has been implemented over 500 healthcare facilities in 22 countries throughout the world with JICA's cooperation.

For learning the base of KAIZEN

In the hospital, Tanzania, they improved inventory management for liners to segregate medical waste and produced the liners in the hospital for cost reduction.

I used short-length version (5 minutes) of the material and guided KAIZEN was a bottom up approach that picked up one by one and reviewed various points which medical workers and patients have felt inconvenient. And the material also introduced the results of KAIZEN at the hospital in Tanzania, as it brought reduction of costs and time, improvement for customer services. I gave participants full version DVD of the material which explained 7 steps of KAIZEN process concretely with good practices of a Japanese hospital, and advised them to do self-learning from the material.

I believe it is able to share concrete images about KAIZEN with participants gathered in the event, and expect it will make BNPC consultants' activities easier. I realized JICA-Net multimedia-based learning materials are helpful tools to share people a concept because of a visual approach.

Using the materials in accordance with the situation.

The meeting for KAIZEN activities by QIT members

I have known JICA-Net Library before as a JICA staff. Also I know the material this time I informed is uploaded to JICA-Net Library YouTube Channel (external link). However, not having enough internet environment to watch YouTube in Botswana, so I requested duplication of multimedia contents as DVD.

Duplication materials has an advantage than YouTube in the point that we are able to show the movie to many people by using a projector without unexpected interruption and hand it to people for self-learning.

On the other hand, YouTube is convenient in the point that we are able to watch the material before using it and confirm the contents, in this time, which explains KANZEN in hospital simply.

In many developing countries face a lack of healthcare resources and it makes providing medical services difficult. It is important to introducing KAIZEN into developing countries for bring an environment that the people are able to use healthcare resources properly and medical services which their hospital provided. From here on out, I think this material which explains the base of KAIZEN will be used effectively for the management class in hospital who are willing to introduce KAIZEN and for the member of KAIZEN team who are belongs to each section.

Ken Yamada
JICA Botswana

*The Material(s) mainly applied

What is KAIZEN? Improving Quality of Healthcare

This material was produced to enhance understanding on KAIZEN and enhance implementation of KAIZEN activities in health facilities.

This material describes the concept and overview of KAIZEN, the seven steps of KAIZEN and KAIZEN activities implemented at Iizuka Hospital in Japan and in public hospitals in Tanzania.

• YouTube (external link)