The Centre for the Right to Health (CRH), an NGO, has called on the Federal Government to make better efforts towards the implementation of the Patients’ Bill of Rights launched in 2018.
Mrs Stella Iwuagwu, the CRH Executive Director, made the appeal in an interview on Saturday in Abuja.
Iwuagwu said that launching the bill showed sincerity of purpose to ensure protection of patients rights, but much more needs to be done to see to its implementation.
The executive director said that implementation of the bill has been lack lustre with limited resources allocated to enforce the act.
“It is one thing to pass a law, but it is yet another to implement, monitor and enforce them. Implementation has been lack Luster.
“Resource allocation to implement and enforce the Act has been limited.
“On the part of the government, one can say sincerity of purpose and commitment to ensure patients’ rights are respected pushed the federal government to launch the bill.
“Also this purpose pushed it to promulgate and sign into law the National Health Act which provides for, guarantees and protects patients’ rights; though it took many years of consistent advocacy from Civil Society Organisations including CRH before the government could sign the National Health Act into law.
“The Patient’s Bill of Rights was launched in 2018 but till today, a lot of people including health service providers are not even aware of its existence.
“There is need for more awareness and sensitization. The National Orientation Agency, Ministry of Health and even Ministry of Communication should all join in sensitizing Nigerians of the Patient’s Bill of Rights with jingles and other media,” Iwuagwu said.
She expressed reservation on the Bill’s impact to the improvement of healthcare delivery in the country, saying: “I will not say that health service delivery has improved as a result of the Patient’s Bill of Rights.”
Iwuagwu said that the only areas of the country where the bill may have impacted were elitist healthcare facilities in the metropolitan cities of the country.
She said that this meant that more grounds needed to be covered in terms of awareness creation.
She urged the government to do more than was currently obtainable so that citizens could begin to feel the positive impact of the bill when receiving healthcare services.
The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, launched the Patients’ Bill of Rights in July 2018.
The 12 set of rights contained in the bill include Right to relevant information in a language and manner the patient understands, including diagnosis, treatment, other procedures and possible outcomes, and Right to timely access to detail and accurate medical records and available services.
Others are Right to transparent billing and full disclosure of any costs, including recommended treatment plans, Right to privacy and confidentiality of medical records.
The bill also contained the Right to clean, safe and secure healthcare environments; Right to be treated with respect, regardless of gender, race, religion, ethnicity, allegations of crime, disability or economic circumstances.
Others are Right to receive urgent, immediate and sufficient intervention and care in the event of an emergency, and Right to reasonable visitation in accordance with prevailing rules and regulations.
According to the bill, citizens reserved the Right to decline care, subject to prevailing laws and upon full disclosure of the consequences of such a decision and the Right to decline or consent to participate in medical research, experimental procedures or clinical trials.
Citizens also have the Right to quality care in accordance with prevailing standards, and Right to complain and express dissatisfaction regarding services received. (NAN)
