Neesha Ajit Nair

Dr. Neesha Ajit Nair is a healthcare quality and patient safety leader with more than twenty years of experience helping hospitals and clinics become safer, more compassionate, and more reliable for patients and families. She is an ISQua Fellow and Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ), and serves as Consultant - Quality & Patient Safety and Assistant General Manager at Aster DM Healthcare GCC, leading its non‑UAE verticals (Oman, KSA, Qatar) and Aster Clinics — a network of over 80 primary care centers in the UAE.

Neesha believes every patient deserves to feel safe, respected, and truly cared for. Her work focuses on reducing preventable harm, improving communication, and building a culture where patients and families are active partners in their care. She led her hospital to become the first in the region to adopt the IHI Age‑Friendly Health Systems 4Ms framework, ensuring older adults receive care that honors what matters most to them.

She is passionate about sustainability and the future of healthcare. Neesha helped co‑design the ISQua Certificate in Sustainability in Healthcare and advocates for how hospitals can protect both people and the planet. She also collaborated with the Maternity Foundation – Denmark on a study using the Safe Delivery App in Oman and KSA to support safer childbirth for mothers and newborns.

Neesha has extensive experience in accreditation and external evaluation, having guided organizations through JCI, NABH, Accreditation Canada, and EFQM programs. She also holds a Specialist Certificate in External Evaluation and Standards Development, strengthening her ability to help healthcare teams meet global benchmarks of safety and quality.

As a faculty member and international advisory committee member for CAHO, she has co‑designed programs that support nurses, improve patient experience, strengthen medication safety, and promote safe use of lasers in healthcare. A lifelong learner, she continues to explore new knowledge in safety science, digital health, and sustainable development.

Her research includes publications in BMJ Open Quality and the Africa Journal of Nursing & Midwifery. She has served as Chairperson for the COVID‑19 Response Awards (Stevie Awards) and as an assessor and jury member for several national and international healthcare excellence awards, including the Global Medical Excellence Awards and the UAE Ideas Award.


Neesha is also a recipient of the Femina Women Super Achiever Award, recognizing her dedication to improving healthcare for communities.
At the heart of her work is a simple belief: when we listen to patients, learn from them, and work together, healthcare becomes safer for everyone.