An old man
was rushed to one of the country’s hospitals, critically ill. The expectation
of people at the medical facility was that he was going to enjoy prompt
attention.
That was not the case! An angry nurse yelled at the old man for reporting late
to the hospital in a critical condition.
This started a public debate about the attitude of health care providers,
especially nurses, which is worrying and needs the attention of stakeholders.
The enmity between health care practitioners and patients has become a teething
phenomenon, which needs to be addressed to improve on the health care delivery
system.
The relationship between patients and their healthcare providers should
involve mutual agreement and understanding so that a medical practitioner can
solve the problem of his or her client in order to be fulfilled.
A study by the World Health Organisation shows that modern health care practice
can only function when health care providers and patients’ behave as partners.
Experience and research reveals that patients, who are informed, involved in
the process of their treatment and whose rights are respected by health care
practitioners, recover more quickly and have shorter stay in hospitals.
Co-operation in this sense should be education for patients on things they
should know concerning their health and training workshops for health care
providers to enlighten them on the ethics of their profession.
Health
care providers must communicate effectively to the understanding of their
clients while patients should also correspond well their illness for proper
diagnosis and treatment.
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) Patient’s Rights Charter states that “GHS is for
all people living in Ghana irrespective of age, sex, ethnic background and
religion”.
It also indicated that “in all healthcare activities the patient’s
dignity and interest must be paramount”.
The document said patients are entitled to information, consent, privacy and
confidentiality.
The charter explained into details the rights of patients and how those rights
go a long way to benefit them and should therefore be the concern of health
professionals.
The question is; are these rights implemented and is the majority of the public
aware of them?
Formulating the rights was not enough without regulating and implementing them;
the two would have to move and complement each other.
What should be the concern of health authorities is how possible the rights
would massively be enforced in the various health institutions nationwide and
how practitioners could imbibe them in their daily practices and activities.
The charter made provision for patient’s responsibilities, which states that
“the patient should understand that he or she is responsible for his or her own
health and should therefore co-operate fully with healthcare providers”.
As a country we have witnessed cases where some health professionals through
their negligence have conducted themselves unprofessionally, resulting in loss
of lives and even disabilities.
Some of their actions and inactions are completely against the code of ethics
of the health profession.
An aspect of the code of ethics says that “all service personnel shall be
competent, dedicated, honest, client -focused and operates within the laws of
the land”.
Sometimes the authorities do not hold responsible medical
practitioners who go against the ethics or even when they do so, the public is
not made aware of. ”
There is the need for a commission of enquiry to look into such issues.
If the health care provider-patient relations are healthy, a good rapport
can be established in delicate situations.
Some health providers seek to have cordial relationship only with
patients who are among the urban rich, neglecting the rural poor to their faith.
So who helps the high number of impoverished people seeking medical attention?
Patients should not also take it as a privilege to abuse their rights
because they think health care providers are suppose to have compassion for the
sick.
Patients have to inform healthcare providers of
any anticipated problems in following prescribed treatment or medical advice
and respect the rights of other patients’ and health care providers.
It is also a must for patients to protect the property of health facilities.
Among the rights entrenched in the GHS patients’ charter, include: the patient
has the right to quality basic health care irrespective of his or her
geographical location.
Patients
are entitled to full information on their condition, management and the
possible risks involved, except in emergency situations when the patient is
unable to make a decision and the need for treatment is urgent.
The
patient in other words has the right to know the identity of all the caregivers
and other persons who may handle him or her including students, trainees and
ancillary workers.
The charter explained that patients have the right to consent or decline to
participate in a proposed research study involving them after a full
explanation has been given. The patient may withdraw at any stage of the
research project.
A patient who declines to participate in or withdraws from a research project
is permitted to the most effective care available.
The patient has the right to privacy during consultation, examination and
treatment. In cases where it is necessary to use the patient or his/her case
notes for teaching and conferences, the consent of the patient must be sought.
The patient is unrestricted to confidentiality of information obtained about
him or her and such information shall not be disclosed to a third party without
his or her consent or the person entitled to act on his or her behalf except
where such information is required by law or is in the public interest.
Hospital charges, mode of payments and all forms of anticipated
expenditure shall be explained to the patient prior to
treatment.
Health care must be the concern of all Ghanaians and should be paramount
in all the activities of the GHS.
A Feature by Morkporkpor Anku
