By Nnedinma Okeke/ Chukwudi Nwauba :
With the aim of enhancing healthcare delivery through awareness promotion, the Anambra State Ministry of Health (SMOH) in collaboration with USAID has organised training on Patients’ Bill of Right (PBoR) for healthcare providers and the patients community.
The one-day training each for the two categories of participants was held at King David Hotel, Awka.
It had in attendance healthcare providers among which were Hospital Administrators, Healthcare workers from the Tertiary, Secondary and Primary health institutions in the State and PHC Directors from the 21 Local Government Health Authorities of the State.
Also the Patients community among which were the President General’s (PGs) of Town Unions, Political office holders, Women Groups, Religious Groups, Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU) Women’s wing, and Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria Representatives.
Others includes Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Community Based Organisations (CBOs) among which were; Care Trust Development Initiative, Save the World Organization (SAWOR), Hope Givers Initiative, National Association of Persons with HIV in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), Joint National Association of Persons with Disability (JoNAPWD) and Tuberculosis (TB) Network, among many others.
The Honourable Commissioner, State Ministry of Health, Dr Afam Obidike during the training noted that Governor Soludo’s administration was geared towards building an efficient healthcare system that functions irrespective of the individual.
“We want to increase awareness of people going to the hospital to receive care and for medical check-ups with efforts to ensure that there is increase in production of Nurses and Doctors.
“Our interest is in patient care and improved quality service delivery which is an essence of this training.
“We want people to be enlightened that it is their right to receive quality health service and demand explanation where necessary from their healthcare provider.”
Dr Obidike urged the healthcare providers and participating organisations to aid educate people on their health rights which is why the State Government is working to ensure functionality of its health facilities.
“The system we are building is for citizens to have confidence in public facilities whether hospitals or schools as the aim of Government is not to maximise profits but to render social services to its people,” the Commissioner said.
United States Agency International Development (USAID) Representative, Mrs Oluwafisayo Fakayode thanked the participants for their commitment towards attendance of the programme.
She noted that USAID were committed to ensuring patients and caregivers were treated with dignity which was key.
“The right to health is interdependent, interrelated, and indivisible on human rights and when not gotten right, people’s right to life could be threatened/violated as there is an intersection with the right to health to other human rights.
“The training will aid strengthen capacities and engender a society where people’s rights are respected, protected and fulfilled,” the USAID Representative said.
She thanked the Anambra SMOH for the commitment in pushing the training through as they look forward to more conducive empowerment into the healthcare sector with respect and protection to people’s rights whilst they receive care.
The State Lead, Achieving Health Nigeria Initiative (ANHI), Dr Onyeka Ukwu noted that the training would aid strengthen the knowledge of the patients as well as the healthcare workers so that everyone’s right would be respected.
WHO Anambra State Coordinator, Dr Bonos Mohammed emphasized on the importance of the Patients Bill of Rights (PBoR). He expressed gratitude that the State Government was actively involved in ensuring that patients rights were respected and protected.
The Director Public Health, SMOH, Dr Afam Anaeme explained that the goal of the training was to improve quality of care and ensure accountability for human rights violations/abuses in the healthcare setting.
The training Facilitator, Dr Uche Umeh said the training objectives was to promote legal literacy among relevant State Civil Society Groups on the PBoR and also to strengthen capacity of healthcare providers on the contents of the PBoR.
Legal Practitioner, Barrister Irene Isioma Anaeme noted that while the right to health was linked under the right to life in the Nigeria Constitution, one’s right ends where another person’s right start.
She urged for people to always channels their redress through Associations citing the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) as an example of such Associations as every right to life has limitation.
Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN) Representative, Mrs Shakira Olawumi Saadudeen noted that the training has enlightened them on their rights as patients when they visit the hospital for consultation/treatment.
“This has made us understand that it is is within our rights to make complaint or speak up when not treated properly in a healthcare facility and I thank the organisers of the training for the knowledge instilled in us,” she said.
The President General (PG) Achina Town Union, Mr Tony Ezenwaka said the training impacted them with the compendium on how to change/act on healthcare delivery services from the healthcare providers and patients.
He noted that the knowledge gained would pave way for an avenue/room for quality improvement in healthcare delivery services as the Soludo’s administration was investing in the State’s healthcare sector with the aim of giving Ndi Anambra quality health and healthy living.
“As the PG of my community, I will embark on awareness creation on the PBoR for my community members to be aware and enlightened to know their rights,” Mr Ezenwaka said.
The training was themed: Empowering Patients, Enhancing Care.
*Nnedinma and Chukwudi are of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State.*
