The Medical Director of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (GARH), Dr Leslie Issa Adam-Zakariah, has reaffirmed the hospital’s commitment to making patient safety a central priority in the delivery of healthcare.
Speaking on the occasion of World Patient Safety Day held on Wednesday, September 23, Dr. Adam-Zakariah said the day should serve as an opportunity for healthcare institutions to reflect on their fundamental responsibility to ensure that patients are protected from avoidable harm while receiving care.
“This day is not just ceremonial. It is a day to reflect on our core duty to ensure that no patient is harmed while seeking care in our facility,” he said.
According to him, patient safety is inseparable from quality healthcare, stressing that even technically correct medical interventions cannot be considered quality care when safety is compromised.
“At GARH, we prioritise patient safety above all else. Because without safety, there is no quality. A correct diagnosis given late, a good surgery done without infection prevention, or the right drug given to the wrong patient is not quality care,” Dr Adam-Zakariah said.
The Medical Director said this year’s World Patient Safety Day theme, ‘Safe Care for Non-Communicable Diseases’, is particularly relevant to the hospital, given the increasing burden of chronic diseases among patients.
He noted that conditions including hypertension, diabetes, cancers, stroke, chronic kidney disease and mental health conditions have become major causes of admission and death at the hospital.
“These are lifelong conditions that require safe, continuous and coordinated care,” he said.
On measures to strengthen patient safety, Dr Adam-Zakariah outlined a number of measures implemented by GARH to improve patient safety and the quality of care provided to patients.
He said the hospital has strengthened its diagnostic systems through improvements in laboratory quality processes, noting that the facility has an ISO-certified laboratory.
The hospital has also acquired modern echocardiography and endoscopy equipment to support diagnosis and treatment.
The hospital, he added, is working to ensure timely reporting of diagnostic results while efforts are ongoing to fully restore imaging services to reduce diagnostic errors and delays.
Acting Chairperson of the Ghana Health Service Council, Barbara Serwaa Asamoah, who doubles as the Deputy General Secretary of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), was worried about the rising law suits that has hit the service in recent times promising the council’s resolve to train more personnel to reduce the rising cases of lawsuits.
She further encouraged the staff in the various hospitals across the country to prioritise patient safety.
Dr. Elorm Hillary Otchi, a Health Systems Expert, also called on health practitioners to prioritise the safety of patients.
“Patient safety is not about perfect people. Patient safety is about reliable systems that protect patients when they are busy ; when they are tired or when they are under pressure.”