EDWIN MOYO
GWERU-Women in Communities (WICO) in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Care last week joined hands with Gweru residents in commemorating the World Patients Safety Day.
This year’s celebrations were held under the theme, “Engaging patients for Patients Safety.”
In an interview with The Midweek Watch after the commemorations held at Gweru Memorial Library, WICO director, Rebecca Chirenga highlighted the importance of equipping patients, to help them know their rights as enshrined in the health charter.
“Today we are gathered here to celebrate WPSD, and we are an organisation which is aligned to the World Health Alliance as we have the component of health in our operations.
“We decided to focus on the health charter because, some of the residents and health workers are always at loggerheads. So, the challenge is that sometimes we don’t know our rights henceforth we have decided to help the public to know the health charter,” she said.
Ministry of Health’s Provincial Health Promotion Officer, Ishmeal Mavhenyengwa said the right to safety was fundamental to patients.
“A health charter is a written document that states the rights, privileges, and obligation of patients. It aims to improve the relationship between patients and health care providers.
“The charter however, explains the kind of service you can expect from the health care delivery system. So, it speaks to responsibilities and obligations which then can help to give feedback on the quality of services you are provided with,” said Mavhenyengwa.
He further added that, a patient was supposed to have access to appropriate grievance handling procedures.
“A patient shall have the right to a second opinion at any time while consulting the same medical or health care facility.
“It is legal requirement that clients or patients accept treatment or other interventions where the condition may affect the wider public,” he added.
A resident, Norman Dururu applauded the swift responses by health professionals at public health institutions in times of emergences.
