The Lagos State Government is to train 825 health workers on personal and work etiquette and professional core values, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health Dr Titilayo Goncalves has said.
This, the government said, would foster qualitative health care service delivery and increase patients’ utilisation of efficient and affordable health services in all state-owned health facilities.
The workers consist of core health staff and other professionals working in the health sector within the senior management cadre drawn from primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities as well as departments of the Ministry of Health, Health Service Commission and Primary Health Care Board.
“Although nurses form the bulk of the participants, other core health workers like doctors, pharmacists, laboratory technicians and professionals working in the health sector like engineers, accountants, administrative and human resource officers, public affairs officers among others are also being trained,” she said in a statement by the ministry’s Director of Republic Affairs Adeola Salako.
Goncalves said the government had been inundated with complaints and reports from patients and the public on poor attitude of its health workforce prompting the need for orientation and re-orientation.
“The complaints and reports have become worrisome and it is inimical to our goal of providing quality affordable and efficient health services to the populace, hence the initiation of these trainings which overall goal is to assist health workers and other related professional in health service delivery system to improve their attitude for greater level of effectiveness at work,” she said.
She implored health workers especially nurses and doctors to continue to exude professionalism, discipline, integrity, humility, selflessness and great care built on patient-centered care in the discharge of their duties, adding that patient-centered care is an essential tool for improving the quality of health care service in Lagos State.
“Patient-centered Care involves providing care that is respectful and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs and values, and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions,” Goncalves said.
