Africa-Press – Mauritius. The National Productivity and Competitiveness Council, (NPCC) in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan in Mauritius, held, this afternoon, at the Japanese Ambassador’s Residence in Floréal, the handing over ceremony of the African KAIZEN Awards to the successful Mauritian participants.
The Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal; the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan, Mr Shuichiro Kawaguchi; the Executive Director of the NPCC, Mr Ashit Kumar Gungah, and other personalities were present at the event.
The two top Mauritian performers, who were nominated by the NPCC for the Awards, are the Coronary Care Unit of Dr Abdool Gafoor Jeetoo Hospital and private cold storage company, Froid des Mascareignes Ltd.
The Coronary Care Unit bagged the ‘Prize for KAIZEN Achievement’ in recognition of its distinguished performance, while Froid des Mascareignes Ltd received the ‘Excellent’ award in the small and medium organisation category for its dedication and maintained excellence.
The results were announced during the three-day Africa KAIZEN Annual Conference 2021, which took place from 24 to 26 August 2021 in Tanzania. In his address, the Minister of Health and Wellness highlighted that the Prize for KAIZEN Achievement to the Coronary Care Unit reflects the hard work and efforts being carried out to improve health care in the country.
The Coronary Unit went from a waiting list of 90 patients a few years ago to offering a 24/7 angiography services presently. Dr Jagutpal underlined that this award, while bringing comfort, should motivate the Ministry to excel in delivery of health services.
He added that angiography equipment will be acquired so that other hospitals are able to provide the same level of service. The Japanese Ambassador, for his part, put forward that the economic activities in Mauritius have resumed on a positive note.
He encouraged companies to take the lead in implementing the KAIZEN culture, more so amidst the COVID-19, with a view to maintaining the positive economic pace, and driving continuous improvement efforts that would sustain them in the changing environment.
He assured that Japan, as a close partner to Mauritius, will give its support in sharing best practices, know-how and practical experiences for an easy adoption of the KAIZEN culture.
As for the Executive Director of the NPCC, he applauded the achievement of the organisations from the private and public sectors in the African KAIZEN Award, which he deemed should motivate both public and private entities to strive for greater heights.
He recalled that the Gold Winners of the National Productivity and Quality Convention, an annual event which aims at enhancing the productivity and quality standards of an organisation, are called upon to represent Mauritius at the African KAIZEN Award.
“For the second year in a row, Mauritian organisations have been able to win the appreciation of the Jury Panel”, he pointed out.
Underlining the NPCC’s commitment to help both the public and private sector, in particular the local small and medium enterprises, to restructure and grow in these difficult times brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr Gungah averred that this new normal is challenging and represents a local and a global opportunity.
“Future growth and competitiveness will be anchored in productivity, innovation and the skills of the workforce,” he stressed.
The KAIZEN concepts stem from the hard work of Japanese people using limited resources to be more efficient and contribute to the economic development of their country.
The African KAIZEN Award is a joint initiative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the African Union Development Agency – New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD).
Its objectives are to provide participants with the opportunities to review their own practices and appraise their achievements within the KAIZEN concepts of enhanced quality, productivity, competitiveness and work culture, as well as raise awareness of KAIZEN among policymakers, business people, and practitioners.
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