Nigeria’s Minister Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has expressed government’s interest in improving the quality of healthcare service in the country.
According to him, Nigeria will now see quality as fundamental human right, not just as a tool, not as a system, and not not as a process.
“But we shall see it as a human right which every Nigerian is entitled to enjoy. If we have this in mind, I think we would change the way and manner we deliver our services,” Adewole said.
He said this while launching two critical documents to enhance quality and standard in healthcare services in the Nigeria.
The documents were Assessment Check-list for Federal Tertiary Hospitals and National Surgical, Obstetrics, Anaesthesia and Nursing Plan for Nigeria.
“Nigerians love quality, when you are offered quality care or otherwise, you know this is the real challenge to our Chief Executives. We must put things right, we must give quality care to our people, we don’t have a choice, especially now that the Secondary healthcare facilities are under performing,” Adewole noted.
The Minister called on the Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors of Tertiary hospitals to be productive, adding that productivity comes as a result of commitment and determination by chief executives, consultants and other staff.
Prof. Adewole said that there should be reward for same hospitals with excellent performance. “People must be compensated if you want them to give their best in a way that they would not think of a second option”, Adewole advised.
In his remarks, the Director General Bureau for Public Service Reform (BPSR), Mr. Dasuki Ibrahim Arabi, pledged to partner with Federal Ministry of Health to monitor the activities of tertiary hospitals with a view of implementing health related reforms in the hospital in Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Chairman, National Tertiary Health Institutions Standard Committee (NTHISC), Prof. Abiodun Ilesanmi, said that the overall goal of the Assessment Check-list was to ensure that there was minimum standard in all tertiary hospitals.
“What is next in line now is fallow now is proper implementation of the checklist, training and re-training of medical personnel to ensure quality care and standard in all tertiary hospitals”.
He called on the medical personnel to always exhibit good conduct and attitude towards their patients. While calling on Government to increase funding to tertiary hospitals, he urged the hospitals to utilize the available resources to achieve quality and productivity.
He stressed that the check –list, if properly implemented, would reduce medical negligence by health workers.