MDCN seeks measures to check infringements on patients’ health
The deputy registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Dr. Victor Gbenro, has advocated systems to check infringements on patients’ health in Nigeria.
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The registra disclosed this while delivering a keynote lecture at the annual general meeting of the Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association.
“Because the practice of medicine is so intimately concerned with people’s bodies, personal vulnerabilities and wellbeing, it is subject to legal and ethical restrictions, all of which have evolved or been designed to protect patients’ interests. They constrain health care practitioners to behave competently and ethically, and to conduct themselves with probity.
“Studies have shown gaps in knowledge and practice of medical ethics among both physicians and non-physicians. For the field of medical ethics to continuously advance, medical practitioners need to devote more attention to ethical reflection. There is the need for periodic continuing education on clinical ethics utilizing a multidisciplinary approach to bridge the gap in ethical knowledge and practices.
“As in most developed countries, infringements on patient health and safety will arise either from system or human errors; methods are put in place to document such cases in a bid to enable the healthcare system checkmate the rate of occurrence through sanctioning and litigation against the offenders. Such systems are needed in Nigeria to boost medical regulation in the country,” Gbenro said.
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The chairman of the Lagos NMA, Dr Adetunji Adenekan, said the theme of the AGM was chosen to boost doctors’ knowledge on the understanding of fundamental provisions of rules and laws guiding the practice of medicine in the country as well as clarity of roles.
He said, “In recent time, there has been an increasing trend in cases of alleged medical malpractice and negligence by patients and their relations especially in Lagos State. With the emerging challenges in this regard including but not limited to the attendant ‘social media trial’ of medical and dental practitioners.
“It is becoming obvious that huge gap exists in the understanding of medicolegal aspect of medical practice across board.”
