LUTH commemorates World Patient Safety Day, emphasises on patient safety

The Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) on Monday commemorated World Patient Safety Day. Speaking during the commemoration at Hall 36, LUTH Idi-Araba in Lagos, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo said the day is one of the World Health Organisation (WHO) pivotal global public health initiatives.

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Adeyemo said that it was a day set aside to raise awareness about the importance of patient safety within clinical and health care environments. The World Patient Safety Day is celebrated every year on Sept. 17 to spread awareness around the world about patient safety.

The CMD said that this year’s theme: ‘Engaging Patients for Patients Safely’ aims to influence stakeholders including patients, families, policy makers, health care leaders, health workers and patient organisations. He said they are expected to work collaboratively towards co-designing health care policies and safety interventions that truly reflect the needs and preferences of patients and ultimately enhancing healthcare safety globally

“Co-designing is a relatively new concept, especially in this part of the world. Co-design is the method of involving users (people) stakeholders (decision makers) and practitioners (front line staff) in the process of design. It is important that everyone affected has the opportunity to input into the process, hence the theme for this year. Nothing about us without us has been a mantra used by a host of excluded groups over the past 20 years and it has never been more important than in a digital age where poor design can increase health inequalities by further exclusion” he said.

Adeyemo said that when talking about patients safety, patients themselves must be involved, their opinions must count. The event featured different sessions from experts on “Advancing Patient Safety through Patient Support Groups, Pharmacists as the Gatekeeper of Patient Safety, How patients and Patient Support Groups can Influence Health policy and The Role of Nurses in Promoting Patient Safety”.

The patients also gave virtual testimonies of how they were being cared for in LUTH.

Wumi/NAN