Healthcare professionals embrace teamwork, settle differences
As part of efforts to move the nation’s health sector forward through quality and effective service delivery to patients, healthcare professionals in the country, have resolved to settle their differences and embrace teamwork.
It would be recalled that over the years, the Nigerian health sector had witnessed unhealthy rivalries, including battle for supremacy among the various professional groups in the sector. Now, the groups are embracing better relationships to put an end to any rifts among them.
To actualise this, the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAPharm), in collaboration with the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria(PSN), organised a one-day symposium at the University of Lagos recently, where the leaders of various healthcare professional groups in the health sector, came together to chart the way forward.
The symposium with the theme,” Health of the Nation: The Imperative of Interprofessional Collaboration”, provided the health professionals ample opportunity to bury their hatchet and embraced collaboration, cooperation and teamwork.
Participants at the symposium were drawn from medicine, pharmacy, nursing, medical laboratory sciences, among others. The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Eyitayo Lambo, former Minister of Health.
In his remarks, President of NAPharm and former Minister of Health, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi said : ” It is time to disappoint those who have profited from the disharmony among healthcare professionals.”
” Unless we all come together and negotiate with humility and with a sense of accommodation, the distractions will continue. It is my belief that this landmark occasion would not be in vain”, he said.
According to Adelusi-Adeluyi, the disharmony among the various professional groups and lack of respect in the system was unnecessary considering the fact that the sector has the brightest professionals in Nigeria.
He also called for the formation of inter-professional committees,saying, “Working together is a sign of success . Now is the time to work together.”
In his keynote address, Prof. Lambo said :”This is the time to break down the silos that create barriers to patient-centered care, contribute to inefficient and ineffective care delivery, and compromise the safety, quality and outcomes of health care.”
Lambo stated that clinical care has become more complex and specialized; with increased specialization, no one health provider can meet all the complex needs of a patient and his/her family.
He said governments need to support the culture required for collaboration by making inter- professional collaboration a priority and evaluating its impact; and provide health care organizations with the fiscal resources required to develop, implement and evaluate inter-professional collaboration (care).
On his part, PSN President, Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, counselled healthcare professionals to ensure that patients get the best quality care and treatment they deserve.
He said it was incumbent on them, to imbibe a systemic change in practice, effective and open communication, professional trust, and a system of coordinated care that allows patients to be part of the decision-making in relation to their care.
According to him, “Adopting this team-based culture of mutual respect and understanding is possible and very necessary, as we all have a moral obligation towards the welfare of the patient. I believe that together we are better and stronger.”
