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Momodou
Denmark
11785 Posts |
 Posted - 26 Oct 2009 : 18:39:52
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Medical and Dental Council Faults Health Service
By Annia Gaye
The Registrar of the Gambia Medical and Dental Council, Dr. Adama A. Sallah, said the Gambia Medical and Dental Council has noticed some worrying irregularities in the delivery of health services in the country in recent times, particularly within the private sector. Mr. Sallah revealed this at a press briefing held at the Lamtoro Clinic conference hall in Kololi.
Dr. Sallah described as harmful and highly undesirable irregularities that, he said, are taking place in the health services delivery system, particularly in the private sector.
The Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council noted the regularities as the registration of medical dental practices by persons who are not appropriately registered or authorized by the Council.
Dr. Sallah said it has been brought to the notice of the Council that certain companies, institutions in the private sector, are manipulating and restricting their staff so that they can only utilize the services of a particular clinic or doctor or dentist. This, he said, constitutes among other things a gross interference of the patient’s rights and tantamount to a violation of the ethical rules and regulations of the profession.
“The patient should have the unqualified right to consult doctors and dentists of his/her choice, or the one that his particular needs dictate at the giving time,” said the Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council.
The reason, he further said, is that knowledge, competences and experience and a variety doctors and dentists means one particular doctor/dentist is not suitable for all medical and dental problems. He expressed his observance that it is increasingly becoming clear that some human resource managers in some companies and banks are trying to strike deals with certain doctors and dentists and clinics so as to have monopoly or whatever for reasons best known to them.
“There is no doubt that this is to the detriment of the patients involved,” he said.
He said it is therefore necessary for the heads of these institutions to eliminate all such forms of restrictions so as to allow free movement of the staff to whichever facilities in the country that their needs dictate. He considers this act as unethical and indecorous for any doctor or dentist to advertise his/her services to canvass for patronage. He said the reason for this is that the doctor/dentist who manages to convince institutions or individuals to utilize his/her services might not be the most competent or suitable to render the required service at the material time.
Dr. Sallah, however, revealed that professionals who are truthful about their competence and experience sometimes are able to convince and manipulate needs of institutions, individuals and the public at large to believe in their false claims through various guises eg. using technical language that they know the layman may not understand. The danger, he said, is that this causes unnecessary delays in the patient’s access to quality medical/dental care which might have some serious repercussion for individuals and his/her family.
He therefore said these are reasons enough to all and sundry to verify qualification and competences that people claim before they engage for such specialized services. He said the Medical and Dental Council is ever ready to assist any individual, institution or public in such verification process.
In conclusion Dr. Sallah said there should be a collective endeavour, including the Medical and Dental Council, all professionals, individuals, institutions, public and the media to sensitise the general public about such irregularities to make sure they are brought to a quick end before further lives are lost or undue human suffering is maintained.
The Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council challenged that patients in the Gambia need to be fully sensitised about their rights and responsibilities. In this regard, he said, the Council is working on the development of a Patient’s Right Charter in line with current international recommendations.
The Medical and Dental Council is a medico-legal arm of government empowered to control, monitor and regulate so that standards, quality and ethics are maintained in the health service system.
The Council register was promulgated in 1998 by an Act of parliament and it registers every doctor or dentist who practices in both public and private sectors. It also looks at the training of doctors/ dentists to make sure that they are up to standards.
Source: Foroyaa Online
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 27 Oct 2009 : 06:52:17
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Is this Dr. Sallah, my old friend, the ENT ( Ear, Nose and Throat )specialist and taught at medical school? He ran a pharmacy in Jeshwang just across the street from my residence but actually had a house in Kololi.
A great guy, liked to discuss current affairs; actually most evenings a small group gathered outside his pharmacy where 'everything' was argued...
I agree that the "patients' Right Charter" (or Patients' Bill of Rights) consistent witrh international standards is necessary in the Gambia, because atleast Jammeh's voodoo medical practice can be shut down. Finally, some real medicine and some respect and privacy for the Gambia's sick; man...
But i do not think doctor advertsement should be outlawed. It is understandable that doctors, just like attorneys provide specialized and critical services that soemtimes bordered on life and death issues, but many countries, including the United States, with free market credentials are easing restrictions on attorney and doctor advertisements. It is still unethical, in the U.S. for example for attorneys to solicit business directly (particularly by mail)from targeted individuals especially if those individuals are already distressed by a medical or legal condition. The rationale is that legally or medically distressed individuals may be vulnerable and easily pressured into hiring the services of overzealous legal (and medical prectioners) without proper consideration. However, until recently, the bulk of the resistance to lawyer advertisement was due to the 'old attorney pride and arrogance'. Lawyers (and doctors) perhaps felt too good to go out and solicit clients. Advertisement appeared cheap to them. Not any more. General advertisements, on public media-TV, radio, newspapers- that targets the general public are largely not unethical for the legal profession, at least.
It should not be for Gambian doctors and dentists either. |
Edited by - kayjatta on 27 Oct 2009 06:54:40 |
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Momodou
Denmark
11785 Posts |
Posted - 27 Oct 2009 : 08:14:57
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Kay, Dr. Sallah studied in Sweden i believe and owns Lantoro clinic located at Kololi (Senegambia area). Its one of the most expensive private hospitals in Gambia. However, it is the hospital recomended by the travel insurances here in Scandinavia so the standard is higher.
"Development of a Patient’s Right Charter in line with current international recommendations" is a step in the right direction. |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 27 Oct 2009 : 09:17:02
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| Thanks Momodou, I heard about Lamtoro clinic; but he is not the Dr. Sallah I described apparently. I totally agree with the idea of a "Patients' Right Charter". Its long overdue... |
Edited by - kayjatta on 27 Oct 2009 09:17:32 |
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