Islamabad:Shifa International Hospital (SIH) has become the first healthcare institution in the world to simultaneously receive Joint Commission International (JCI) Clinical Care Program certifications for Acute Ischemic Stroke and Acute Coronary Syndrome, adding two specialized international recognitions to the Academic Medical Center accreditation it secured earlier this month.
The certifications make Shifa the first hospital in Pakistan to obtain JCI Clinical Care Program recognition for both stroke and acute coronary syndrome, two conditions that account for a large proportion of deaths and disabilities globally.
According to the hospital, only a handful of institutions worldwide currently hold either of the two certifications individually, while none has previously held both simultaneously. JCI's public accreditation database confirms the certifications but does not independently rank hospitals, making the "first in the world" claim based on Shifa's assessment of currently certified programmes.
The latest achievement follows Shifa's accreditation as a Joint Commission International Academic Medical Center (AMC), a designation held by fewer than 70 institutions worldwide and awarded to hospitals that integrate patient care, medical education and research under internationally recognized quality and safety standards.
The stroke and coronary syndrome certifications were awarded after JCI surveyors evaluated the hospital's systems for managing patients throughout the continuum of care, including emergency response, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and long-term follow-up.
Acute ischemic stroke and acute coronary syndrome, which includes heart attacks, are among the leading causes of mortality and long-term disability worldwide. Specialists say timely diagnosis and evidence-based treatment pathways are critical in reducing deaths and improving outcomes in both conditions.
Hospital officials said the certifications reflect the performance of multidisciplinary teams comprising physicians, nurses, allied health professionals and quality staff and are aimed at standardizing care according to internationally accepted protocols. Chief Executive Officer Dr Zeeshan Bin Ishtiaque described the achievement as a milestone resulting from the collective efforts of the institution's staff.
Earlier this month, Shifa had announced that it achieved full compliance across all standards assessed under the JCI Academic Medical Center programme. The designation places it alongside Aga Khan University Hospital among the few institutions in the developing world with AMC status.
