Lagos trains 825 health workers on attitudinal change

• Perm Sec urges workers to embrace professional core values

A cross section of health workers at one of the training sessions

In its bid to foster qualitative health care service delivery and increase patients’ utilization of efficient and affordable health services in all state-owned health facilities, the Lagos State Government said it has commenced the training of no fewer than 825 health workers on personal and work etiquette as well as professional core values.

The Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Health, Dr. Titilayo Goncalves who made this known recently while addressing participants at one of the sessions of the capacity training held at  Ikeja noted that the 825 health workers consist of core health workers and other professionals working in the health sector within the senior management cadre drawn from primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities as well as departments of the State Ministry of Health, Health Service Commission and Primary Health Care Board.

She said: “Although nurses form the bulk of the participants, other core health workers like doctors, pharmacists, laboratory technicians and professionals working in the health sector like engineers, accountants, administrative and human resource officer, public affairs officers amongst others are also being trained”.

Goncalves while explaining the rationale for the training said that the State government through the Ministry of Health has been inundated with complaints and reports from patients and the public on poor attitude of its health workforce prompting the need for orientation and re-orientation.

“The  complaints and reports have become worrisome and it is inimical to our goal of providing quality affordable and efficient health services to the populace hence the initiation of these trainings which overall the goal is to assist health workers and other related professional in the health service delivery system to improve their attitude for greater level of effectiveness at work”, the Permanent Secretary said.

She noted that the training which started on Monday 27th of May, 2019 would be held daily for thirteen days except on weekends and public holidays where 66 participants on a daily basis would  undergo  sessions on values, empathy,  client or customer satisfaction, positive mindset, attitude, courtesies, time management, and professionalism among others.

While noting that the 825 participants are expected to cascade the training to other cadres of staff in their facilities and offices, Goncalves tasked health workers in the State health sector on the need to embrace the core values and ethics of their profession in the care of patients.

She implored health workers especially nurses and doctors to continue to exude professionalism, discipline, integrity, humility, selflessness and great care, built on patient-centered care in the discharge of their noble duties adding that patient-centered care is an essential tool for improving the quality of health care service in Lagos State.

“Patient-Centered Care involves providing care that is respectful and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values, and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions”, Goncalves said.