Clinical Governance properly
implemented can galvanise the drive to Healthcare excellence in Nigeria
The diagnosis of dysfunction in the
Nigerian Healthcare system is self-evident. The magnitude of the problem and
the multitude of underlying factors have been discussed ad nauseam by
several commentators. Government actions to improve healthcare delivery have
proved ineffective and amount to mere rhetoric for political gains. Collective
action by all stakeholders is required. More so by doctors and all healthcare
professionals. Change for the
better will only happen if there is true commitment to working towards well
defined quality standards.
In the course of my research into
health quality improvement in Nigeria, I came across a paper which resonated
well with my own thoughts. The paper is titled “Guidelines for
Performance Management in Hospitals” by Mobola Olatawura and Chukwuka Monye,
both of Ciuci Consulting. The link to the paper is below:
http://www.ciuci.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Guidelines-for-Performance-Management-in-Hospital.pdf
The paper makes a compelling case
for Clinical
governance as an essential tool for quality healthcare improvement in
Nigeria. It gives a step-by-step guide on the implementation of effective
clinical governance structure in Nigeria and other developing countries. By the
way, clinical governance is well entrenched in U.K. National Health Service
(NHS).
Clinical
Governance is a framework of activities for maintaining and improving the
quality of care within a healthcare system. The components of clinical
governance include:
a)
Risk
Management
b)
Clinical
audit
c)
Education,
Training and Continuous Professional Development
d)
Evidence-based
care and effectiveness
e)
Clients’
experience and involvement
f)
Staffing
and staff development
These components should work
together in an integrated manner to provide the basis for a sustained quality
service delivery. The paper cited above is not the first or the only one to
emphasise the importance of clinical governance. Many others have presented
well written papers on clinical governance but it has never been adopted on a
national basis and has never been taken seriously enough.
The paper commented that in the banking
and finance industry, corporate governance is stressed and violation of it can
attract jail sentences. They go on to ask “Is it not disturbing that banking
and finance sector is given more attention than the health sector?” They make
the point that health institutions in Nigeria lack effective clinical
governance structures and that accountability, transparency and a focus on
quality assurance are somewhat lacking. According to the authors, an
investigation carried out in a Nigerian government owned hospital, showed that
the number of deaths and errors that occur in the hospital are unknown and
there are no policies to encourage transparency, perform regular audits,
detect, log and prevent repeat of errors.
We must stop the rot. Covid-19 crisis is ongoing and should serve as an eye opener!.
There should be a
national strategy for healthcare quality improvement. Clinical governance has
to be at core of that strategy. If clinical governance structures are
properly implemented, the benefits will flow to every hospital, every health
clinic and every citizen needing medical care in Nigeria.
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