Health workers must treat patients with empathy — Commissioner

Prof. Akin Abayomi, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, has said the state is working to improve the attitude, empathy, and etiquette of healthcare workers in its facilities.

Abayomi made this statement in response to concerns raised about the conduct of healthcare professionals towards patients in Lagos health facilities.

The commissioner stated that training in these areas was a continuous process, as the state had earmarked funds, resources, and initiatives to ensure positive engagement between patients and healthcare workers in health facilities.

“We also have feedback mechanisms, so that if you have been to any of our hospitals and you had a bad experience, there is an opportunity for you to send us a message.

“You can drop a message inside the feedback box, as we have these boxes in our general hospitals.

“We also have a civil society desk in the ministry, this gives us regular feedback on the attitude of some of our professionals,” he said.

Abayomi also acknowledged that the brain drain was putting pressure on medical professionals, who were dealing with more workload.

“We have to be sensitive to the fact that our medical professionals may be experiencing burnout and we are putting in place programmes, to identify these issues.

“The programmes will also help to manage these identified conditions, which are mostly mental and psychological.

“It will ensure that they are not experiencing these challenges and put measures in place to improve their conditions,” he said.

He explained that the state was working diligently to manage burnouts, alongside improving customer service training, noting that positive attitude and empathy improve patient satisfaction, treatment compliance, and clinical outcomes

The commissioner added that the state has implemented a merit-based system for appointing chief executives and medical directors of health facilities, aimed at enhancing the quality of care and promoting excellence in healthcare leadership.

Abayomi disclosed that they went through rigorous selection criteria, stating that managers of hospitals were of top-notch, resulting to improved and inclusive service delivery at health facilities in Lagos State.