For World Patient Safety Day (WPSD) 2024, the Jen Ai Foundation in Taichung City organized the 4th Walk for Patient Safety to promote the importance of patient safety in Taiwan, focusing primarily on “Improving Diagnosis for Patient Safety”, which is the World Health Organization’s WPSD theme for this year. Co-organized by various organizations including the World Patients Alliance, Taiwan Patient Safety Culture Club, Taichung’s Ministry of Health and Welfare; Taichung City Government; etc., the event took place on the evening of Thursday, September 12th, 2024 at the Wenxin Forest Park and Fulfillment Amphitheater in Taichung, Taiwan. This event was estimated to have hosted 600+ attendees, mainly hospital workers in teaching hospitals / medical center settings and numerous passersby in the busy vicinity around the park.

The 1.2 km “Walk for Patient Safety” took the participants around the picturesque Wenxin Forest Park, and the “Light Up the Amphitheater in Orange” ceremony was held at the newly renovated Fulfillment Amphitheater. In the outdoor amphitheater, orange lights illuminated this city landmark to symbolize patient safety's central role in the countries’ efforts to achieve universal health coverage. To demonstrate solidarity for the important cause of Patient Safety, all the participants from 30 hospitals and medical centers in Taiwan were dressed in orange and their flashing orange bracelets lit up, matching the orange lights of the Amphitheater.

Dr. Ming-I Chan Liao, the Board Chairman of the Jen-Ai Foundation and the Founder of the Taiwan Patient Safety Culture Club, has been promoting patient safety initiatives for more than 12 years in Taiwan and it is the 4th time that he has arranged a “Walk for Patient Safety” to raise awareness for this very important cause in this country. Furthermore, he has organized other meaningful patient safety campaigns, including training courses, conferences, movie screenings, etc. to empower patients and their families to actively engage with healthcare providers to improve diagnostic processes.

Dr. Chan Liao says, “This meaningful event will be a memorable occasion for all those who are not aware of the critical need for patient safety and also present a renewal of commitments for those already dedicated to this very worthwhile cause. Even as the world of medicine develops thousands of life-saving technologies, mistakes will unfortunately still happen in hospitals that endanger the well-being of many patients. Measures to accurately diagnose illnesses protect both patients and the healthcare providers, and improving this field of healthcare is an indispensable effort for all.”

Through this Walk for Patient Safety, the Jen-Ai Foundation hopes to demonstrate how important the objective of patient safety is and show solidarity among various medical institutions marching together for healthcare in Taiwan. By uniting as one on a day dedicated to Patient Safety by the World Health Organization, the Jen Ai Foundation’s Walk for Patient Safety seeks to inspire lasting change in healthcare practices, ensuring a brighter, safer future for all those concerned in Taiwan and around the world.