The Lagos State Government has advised health facilities owners across the state to prioritise safe practices for better healthcare in line with global best practices.
The First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, gave the admonition during the World Patient Safety Day celebration.
The event, which was organised by the Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA), held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island.
She stressed that relevant stakeholders in healthcare delivery services need to be conscientious on the prevention of medication-related errors, which can lead to greater health problems.
She explained that the theme of the World Patient Safety Day, ‘Medication Safety’ with the slogan ‘Medication without Harm,’ was well-thought out as there is an urgent need to raise global awareness on the high burden of medication-related harms due to medication errors and unsafe practices.
“This event is a prompt for stakeholders to take urgent action to reduce medication-related harm through strengthening systems and practices of proper medication use and also raise global awareness of the high burden of medication-related harm due to medication errors and unsafe practices,” she said.
The First Lady, who was represented by Dr. Ibijoke Ajumobi, commended HEFAMAA for seizing the opportunity of the global celebration to put a premium to the safety of patients in both public and private hospitals in the state.
She, however, urged health care providers to operate according to the guidelines of the government.
“As a critical agency of government that is charged with the responsibility to set and enforce standards in the health sector, it is commendable that HEFAMAA is seizing the opportunity of this global celebration to put a premium to the safety of patients in our health facilities both private and public,” she said.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, explained that the state government would not relent in its role of ensuring that residents get access to quality healthcare provided by professionals in accredited facilities, reiterating that the government has the safety as its strategy for health care delivery.
Abayomi said further that the state government is regularly regulating the activities of all health facilities in the state, including the traditional alternative and complementary health practitioners, adding that the government, through the Ministry of Health, also organises regular Continuing Medical Education for healthcare providers to improve their capacity in efficient service delivery.
“The Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of health, has an overall safety strategy for patients in in the state. We have three tiers of care and an additional emphasis on traditional medicine. So, whether it is orthodox or traditional alternative medicine, the responsibility of government is, first of all, to make sure that the personnel in these facilities are adequately trained and continue to receive continuous medical education whether they are authorised practitioners or traditional practitioners and in the process of doing that, we need to ensure that their qualifications are right and the facilities in which they are working are accredited and registered,” he said.
Restating the commitment of the government in the fight against quackery, the commissioner urged care givers to ensure the correct medication to their patients and also consider the side effect of the medication they were administering by weighing off the differences between curing a condition and the side effects of the medication.
Also, the Chairman, HEFAMAA, Dr. Yemisi Solanke-Koya, stated that the agency is leveraging the event to raise public awareness, motivate and collaborate with stakeholders in the reduction of unsafe medication practices and errors across categories of health facilities in the state. “The year 2022 world Patient Safety Day celebration has been thoughtfully designed to engage public and private healthcare providers, patient advocates, policy makers and partners in strengthening the systems, human factors and environmental conditions that influence the safety of medication use in Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole,” she said.
The Executive Director, HEFAMAA, Dr. Abiola Idowu, commendedheath facilities owners who have been complying with the guidelines of the government.
She, however, urged them to adhere to the health laws and not relent in the standard of services they provide.