The deputy registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Dr. Victor Gbenro, has avocated systems to check infringements on patients’ health in Nigeria.
Gbenro said 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.
“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.