The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has charged health workers to maintain the culture of due diligence and professional ethics in patient management in the country.
He gave the charge on Saturday while declaring open a three-day training programme for health workers themed “Bio-Ethics and Medical Law” in Jos, the Plateau State capital.
Represented by his Adviser on Health, Dr Femi Aworinde, the speaker said with the advent of COVID-19, reports of negligence had become rampant in the country with many health workers leaving their responsibilities out of fear of contracting the virus.
He said: “This has tremendously affected the quality of care provided and has predictably resulted in increased mobility rates in our hospitals, mostly as a result of medical conditions other than the COVID-19 disease.
“The training is organised in the country and is aimed at restarting the culture of due diligence in patient’s management and ensuring that health professionals leave with a refreshed understanding of the ethical and legal perspective to practice”.
In his remarks, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, while appreciating the speaker, said the initiative was a complementary and collaborative approach aimed at strengthening the health care system.
The minister was represented by the acting Medical Director of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Doctor Pokop Bipwada.
President of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Prof. Innocent Ujah, who said Speaker Gbajabiamila “Is greatly concerned about the health sector in the country”, called on other stakeholders in the country to support him.
