Goaso: The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has urged health workers in the country to endeavour to regard and comply with the Patient Charter, as they provide medical care. The Patient Charter of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) preserves the fundamental human rights and dignity of patients in accessing safe, quality care, right to information and fair treatment.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Eric Adu, a legal practitioner and the Ahafo Regional Director of the NCCE, reminded health workers that disregard for the charter could not only harm patients but also violate their rights. He emphasized that every Ghanaian had the right to access safe and quality healthcare, free from discrimination, and that hiding mistakes violated these rights.
Mr. Adu was speaking at an engagement meeting with the students of the Goaso Nursing and Midwifery Training College on accountability, integrity, and patients' rights organized by the NCCE in Goaso, the regional capital. The event, dubbed 'Civic Engagement on the Rule of Law and the Fight against Corruption,' is part of the Participation, Accountability, and Integrity for a Resilient Democracy (PAIRED) project supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the European Union, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, and Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
He reminded the students that their time in training was not just about acquiring skills, but also about forming habits that would define their professional lives. He noted that integrity was vital in healthcare delivery, stating that a nurse with integrity protects life even in silence, while those without it put lives at risk, highlighting that character was as important as competence.
Mr. Adu further explained that trust in healthcare professionals stemmed not only from their training but also from their commitment to doing the right thing at the right time. He underscored that accountability, integrity, and fairness were key values that defined not just good students, but also safe and trustworthy professionals.
The emphasis on fairness was reiterated, warning that violation of patients' rights to equal and non-discriminatory care was not only unjust but could also lead to severe consequences for health workers. He urged students to refrain from examination malpractices and from using undue influence to gain unearned advantages, as such actions could endanger patients' lives.
Miss Adwoa Serwaa Tawiah, the Dean of Students at the College, expressed appreciation to the NCCE for the insightful and beneficial engagement, urging the commission to establish a Civic Education Club in the college. She advised the students to uphold the core values of integrity and accountability as they prepare to take on their future roles as professional nurses and midwives.