Don’t leak confidential reports of patients …health workers told

A Ghanaian Clinical Psychologist based in the United Kingdom (UK), Dr Annie Gaisie has asked nurses and doctors at the St. Luke’s Catholic Hospital at Apam in the Gomoa West District of the Central Region to desist from leaking confidential reports of patients.

This attitude, she said, was against the ethics of the health profession and stressed that aggrieved patients reserved the right to sue the hospital for breach of confidentiality.

“Without patients, there would be no job for health personnel so do not treat them as if you are doing them a favour,” she stressed.

Dr. Gaisie cautioned the health personnel when some members of the Apam Association in London led by its president, Mr. Alex Ekumah engaged traditional rulers, opinion leaders and staff of the hospital at a forum to see how best the association could help in solving the problems the health facility was facing.

The clinical psychologist urged the nurses to treat the patients with utmost care and love because nobody visited the hospital for fun, and called on some Ghanaian nurses to fix their attitude and work with passion.

“The sick are always traumatised so talking to them harshly will worsen their condition: Communicating well with the patients is key in your professional duties so be good to all,” she said.

President of the Apam Association in UK, Mr. Alex Ekumah also said that the association had been hearing many stories about the St Luke’s Hospital, some of which were very worrying.

That notwithstanding, he commended the staff for their dedication and selfless services to the people in the area.

The Chief of Apam, Nana Edu Effrim X said that the area needed peace to develop and appealed to all the Apam citizens in and outside Ghana to unite and develop the town.

Dr. Raphael Deiter, (medical doctor) Mr. Yusif Twintwan (Snr Anesthetist), Mr. Gilbert Debrah, (nurse) and Ms Mercy Odoi-Akersie, Senior Nursing Officer in-charge of the Male Ward were awarded by the association for their hard work.

From Castro Zangina-Tong, Apam