By Mohammed Nasir Shuaibu (Bauchi State Correspondent)
The Federal Competition and Protection Consumer Commission (FCCPC) and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBU-TH) have agreed to work together towards the domestication of Patients' Bill of Rights (PBoR) in the hospital.
Speaking during the unveiling of the PBoR guideline modalities at the hospital on Wednesday in Bauchi, the Executive Chairman of the Commission, Babatunde Irukera, said the FCCPC is an agency of the Federal Government with the mandate to protect the Nigerian people.
According to him, if the bill is domesticated properly, it will reduce the rate of medical malpractices, improve environment for both patients and staff in the hospital amongst others.
He explained that the PBoR is an aggregation of patients' rights that exist in other instruments including, the Constitution, Consumer Protection Act, Child Rights Act, Freedom of Information Act, National Health Act, the Hippocratic Oath, other professional ethical codes and sundry regulations.
He further explained that the bills also provided three components of patient rights, patient responsibilities and provider responsibilities, respectively.
Adding that it provides access to information, patient related information, fee related information, confidentiality, quality of care, patient's dignity, access to emergency care, visitation, patient's refusal of care, interruption of service by provider and compliant. In his response, the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Dr Yusuf B. Jibrin, said the core mandate of the hospital is to give the patients clinical services, health care services, training as well as research, in accordance with the global best practices.
He disclosed that the hospital was established in 2010 (13 years back) and that it caters for not only the state, but the entire North-East region and beyond and also offer them with tertiary care.
The CMD also said that with the domestication of the Patients' Bill of Rights, the patient's should expect an improved better services from staff of the hospital.
He assured that the PBoR bill will be fully implemented in the hospital as well as ensure strict compliance by the management.
Other highlights of the event was a drama presentation, singing and unveiling of the PBoR guide lines at the hospital. NNL.