I have worked in the hospital for several years and one key thing I realised is that, most Ghanaians present themselves in health facilities like an object to be worked on. Many patients and relatives disconnect mentally and emotionally when they get to health facility. they lose the ability to convey their opinion and how they feel even if it’s clear the healthcare provider made a mistake or he/she is wrong.
This attitude of hospital clients can be likened to a car owner who tows/drives a faulty vehicle to the mechanic to fix. After concluding on the terms of repair, the owner gets out of the car and go home while the mechanic works on it. The reality is that, the human body being fixed, the owner cannot get out of it like the car to sleep comfortably in his house and go later for it. All of the human being ought to remain in the hospital while the body is being fixed.
Dangers of Patient-Mechanic Attitude
Sickness in the body automatically impacts patient’s and loved ones’ mental state and so if people cannot freely express opinion while being treated, their recovery process may be severely hampered. When healthcare providers fail to engage clients, they miss the opportunity to identify and address that which eat them up psychologically.
Another danger of such detached attitude of patients is that, it creates the condition of abuse of patient’s rights. I often say, here in Ghana, most people are very fearful of healthcare providers in health facilities. There’s that sense of being favoured on the part of clients while some staff develop a false sense of superiority over clients in their care. But that should never be the case; only if the public are aware of the powerful rights they are entitled to when they visit health facilities for care.
Nobody knows it all and mistakes sometimes are inevitable; so, if patients and relatives are withdrawn and fear to share their concerns, they end up looking on while wrong treatment is offered and applied.
For instance; Patient knows 10mg of medicine A is often served; then suddenly, a caregiver came in to serve 50mg of that same medicine. The patient or relative saw it and they just allow the wrong dose to be administered. That should never be the case since the patient/relatives form part of the health-team.
This mechanic-and-car owner style of relation that largely exist between the Ghanaian healthcare system and the people is unhelpful and something ought to be done about it.
The subtle hostility between the public and healthcare providers; nurses in particular discourages people from visiting health facilities with health problem early enough to prevent serious complications.
This issue is multi-dimensional and it cannot be blamed on only one party involved- it’s a systemic failure. I have written extensively on this problem in my book titled; “Bernajis Health and Social Diary”.
People also read this , eii, the doctor is also sick? and how to take medicine correctly at home
Conclusion
I conclude on this write-up by reiterating that, you are not a car that can be sent away for repair while the owner goes about his other duties and therefore, take active interest in your own treatment process when taken ill. This would aid effective and speedy recovery.
