Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa has inaugurated a community group for the introduction and implementation of Patient’s Bill of Rights (PBOR), 2018.
Fintiri inaugurated the group during the launching of campaign on Provider Accountability and Patient’s Bill of Right in the state, yesterday in Yola.
The governor was represented by Head of Civil Service in the state, Dr Edgar Amos.
According to the governor, the core objective of the inauguration is to ensure that standard health and attention is given to patients, while ensuring protection of their rights while undergoing medical treatment.
“There are grave concerns about the quality of care, particularly concerning the conduct of health care workers.
“It was as a result of this that the Federal Ministry of Health, in conjunction with Consumer Protection Council and other stakeholders, launched the
Patient’s Bill of Rights (PBOR) in July 2018,” he said.
Fintiri noted that the project was aimed at sensitising health workers on the need to bridge the gap and live up to expectations through provision of high quality care.
“To ensure effectiveness of the project, there is the dire need to leverage the existing and effective community participation mechanisms in the context of health service delivery.
“In line with the above, the state government has established community groups that will be empowering consumers to take action and include non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the efforts at expanding access to care,” he said.
In her remarks, Founder of International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMOH), Moji Makanjuola, said that the Strengthening Provider Accountability and Patient’s Rights was aimed at enhancing transparency and effectiveness in primary healthcare.
Makanjuola emphasised the need for full implementation of patient’s rights, saying that it would boost the confidence between patients and healthcare providers.
“Government has launched many schemes to improve health care services. However, the envisioned impacts, in most cases, have not been delivered to significantly improve the healthcare outcomes.
“It, therefore, stands to reason that strengthening provider accountability and patient’s rights to enhance transparency and effectiveness in primary healthcare is a sure way to undergird our health system from bottom up,” Makanjuola said.
She noted that proper implementation of patient’s rights, including accountability and safety, was the only way to effective health care delivery.
Makanjuola further said that the patient’s rights project was supported by USAID and implemented by International Society of Media in Public Health, in conjunction with IHAT.
In his address, the Executive Chairman, Adamawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Sulaiman Bashir, said that the project would be piloted in Yola North at initial stage and subsequently extended to other health care centres across the state.
