The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, has begun its first Service Charter Week, an initiative to improve quality healthcare delivery, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD), LASUTH, Prof Adewale Oke, says the service charter unit of the hospital was a public service initiative.
Oke said that the unit was to ensure that the hospital maintained every needed action at projecting improved service delivery.
“The unit sees to perfect activities from all units and departments at giving the best to clients who visit the hospital.
“The service has been in the system for some years now but this is the first service charter week in LASUTH.
“It is the state public service initiative aimed at ensuring best practices and service delivery within ministries and agencies of government,’’ he said of the week started on Friday.
The CMD said that service delivery to patients should not only be obligatory but it should also be compelling.
He said that LASUTH being the only tertiary health institution in the state should set precedence for all other government-owned hospitals in the state.
“I commend the service charter team for job-well-done in addressing some of the challenges encountered by the hospital on a daily basis.
“However, as a reminder, they should not rest on their oars as the hospital has not yet reached its desired destination,’’ he said.
Also speaking, the Director, Service Charter Unit, LASUTH, Dr Henry Chukwura, urged health workers to be more passionate while delivering services to their clients.
He said that such attitude would increase better communication between the workers and clients and achieve the goal of quality healthcare delivery.
“It can be difficult to render services to clients who may seem difficult sometimes.
“But the members of staff should be careful, taking cognisance of the fact that clients are always right,’’ he said.
The Director, Office of Transformation, Lagos State, Mrs Adenike Adedoyi -Ajayi said timeliness, good communication skills and professionalism were key to quality healthcare delivery.
The office of transformation is the office that oversees the service charter unit of the hospital.
“These are important tools required to give the clients the best services they need for quality delivery of care.
“Our aim as health workers is to ensure that clients who come in ill, dejected or critically ill received the best treatment to make them get better and stay healthy,’’ she said.
Also, a Consultant Psychiatrist at LASUTH, Dr Bola Ola, urged health workers to develop coping skills in order to cope with workplace challenges or demands.
“The skills will require attitudinal change and how best to control your emotions when dealing with clients and other activities at workplace that may be demanding.
“Both good attitude and well controlled emotions are necessary for workers to put in their best at servicing their clients where and when necessary,’’ he said. (NAN)