NGO advocates patient-centred healthcare
Dr Samuel Kaba, Director, Institutional Care Division at the Ghana Health Service, on Wednesday advised health professionals to receive patients with a smile and sense of care.
He said: “Our basic role is to serve each patient with a smile on our face even in the most difficult of times; our role is to serve with professionalism with good customer care, change our attitude and be positive.
Dr Kaba said this when he chaired the launch of the Patient Solidarity Day, a day set aside to advocate patient -centred healthcare
Patient Solidarity Day was created by patients in Kenya in 2011, to call for patient-centred healthcare regardless of illness.
Dr Kaba said: ” Doctors, nurses, pharmacist and none medical personnel, private or public sector…we are all potential patients with the possibility of falling sick and visiting a hospital at any given moment in our lives.”
He said the Ghana Health Service had developed a hospital strategic plan that will involve the active participation of all, adding that, under the plan, all hospitals shall ensure that patient safety is adhered to, to reduce medical errors, establish a 24 hour accident and emergency teams and protect the vulnerable and disadvantaged, including the neonate, the infant under five, among others.
Dr Kaba urged all health workers to work with passion.
Patient Centred healthcare is a kind of healthcare system that is designed to address the healthcare needs and preferences of patients so that healthcare is appropriate and cost-effective
Dr Idrissa Sow, World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Ghana, said patient centred healthcare was the most effective way for the delivery of high quality care that will meet the real needs of patients.
“Patient- centred healthcare systems are those that incorporate policies, protocols and processes to assure the implementation of practices that are based on evidence and safeguard the patient from preventable harm.
He said the adoption of a patient centred approach in the daily work of health care providers implies recognizing the patient as an equal partner in the process of care.
He said the WHO was currently advocating for strengthening health system as a key determinant towards achieving Universal Health coverage, explaining that improvement of healthcare quality required more patient centred approaches that promotes sharing of power and responsibilities between providers as well as building of a physician -patient relationship, differing fundamentally from conventional paternalistic relationship.
Dr Alexander Yaw Arphul, Director, Human Resource for Health Development at the Ministry of Health, who read a speech on behalf of the Minister, said donor support should begin looking at improving efficiency of service delivery and aim at producing the maximum health services through health system support.
He urged civil society organizations to show more interest in patient-centredness, probe for more information and continue to educate patients on their rights as stipulated by law and in line with health sector guidelines.
Dr Arphul commended Share Care Ghana, the non-governmental organization coordinating the Patient Solidarity Day, for accepting to partner with the health sector to bring to the fore, issue concerning the achievement and challenges the sector faces in an effort to put the patient first.
Source: GNA