Awareness on patients' rights has increased- Dr. Ashinyo

Deputy Director of Quality Assurance for Ghana Health Service, Dr. Mary Eyram Ashinyo has disclosed that, people are now more educated on their rights as patients.

In a discussion on the GTV Breakfast Show, she disclosed that Ghana Health Service has recognized that Health must be co-created with the patients signifying that, the patient must be empowered to be able to work with a health service provider and this led to the Ghana Health Service developing the Patient Charter in 2002.

The Patient’s Charter ensures that service personnel, as well as patients, clients, and their family, understood their rights and responsibilities.

According to Dr. Ashinyo, there was an assessment in 2012 and they found out that only 30% of the people they assessed were aware of their rights as patients but fast forward in 2018, as much as 80% of patients now know their rights.

She also stated that even though the patient population is not static they made sure there is continuous education on the rights of patients, according to Dr. Ashinyo.