A nationwide campaign to raise awareness on patient and healthcare users' rights has been launched, kicking off in Kigali City's Nyarugenge, Muhima, Masaka, and Kibagabaga hospitals.
The campaign, targeting healthcare providers, seeks to improve patient-centered care and contribute to better healthcare outcomes.
The sensitisation drive, launched by Health Development Initiative (HDI-Rwanda) in collaboration with Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) and the Belgian Embassy, will be grounded in the Medical Liability Insurance Law.
The campaign is exploring patient rights, emphasising the integration of informed consent, patient confidentiality, and the right to information into daily healthcare services.
The HDI-Rwanda Director of the Center for Health and Rights, Christopher Sengoga, said that his organisation is building on previous similar approaches to build patient trust and satisfaction that can, in turn, contribute to an improvement in healthcare services.
"When patients feel respected and informed, they trust their doctors, communicate more openly, and adhere to treatment plans. Our discussions with doctors aim to enhance these principles. Of course, this will contribute to an effective healthcare system," he said.
Sengoga explained that the awareness campaign will emphasise accountability, transparency, and patient safety within the healthcare facilities.
For example, on informed consent, he explained that healthcare providers will be taken through the importance of providing patients with prior thorough explanations on medical procedures, their potential risks, and alternative treatments to patients, ensuring they understand and voluntarily agree to the proposed care.
"Regarding confidentiality, discussions highlighted the importance of protecting patient information from unauthorised access, emphasising scenarios such as safeguarding medical records and ensuring private conversations remain confidential."
He explained that the facilitators of this awareness campaign will continue to remind the healthcare providers of their duty of care, illustrated through consistently promptly addressing patient concerns, providing accurate diagnoses, and avoiding medical negligence that could harm patients.
Safe abortion and conscientious objection
The participants also discussed the Ministerial Order on Safe Abortion, outlining the conditions and procedures under which safe abortions can be performed.
They raised questions around conscientious objection, a scenario where healthcare providers may not be comfortable with providing safe abortion services based on moral or religious grounds.
The dialogue included clarifications on the legal obligations of healthcare providers to inform patients of their rights and the availability of safe abortion services, ensuring that patients can make informed decisions.
Solutions proposed included establishing clear protocols that require objecting providers to refer patients to other qualified professionals without delay.
Challenges
During the launch series, a segment was dedicated to discussing barriers to patient-centered care. Key issues included high healthcare provider workload and tight schedules, which often lead to rushed consultations and incomplete patient education.
Other challenges included limited human and capital resources, such as insufficient medical equipment and staff, which delay treatments and compromise care quality.
The Head of Nursing and Midwifery Department at Nyarugenge Hospital, Clarrise Uwizerwa, called the dialogue a "wake-up call".
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"It's now clear to me that we have some gaps in how we adhere to legal standards when dealing with patients. This is my wake-up call. I'm committing myself to addressing these issues immediately to ensure we provide the best and most compliant care possible."
After training, a pharmacist working at the Muhima Hospital pharmacy, Odilla Utamuriza, admitted that she was ready to work on how much time she spends on each patient, despite how busy she may be.
"This training made me realise many aspects that I didn't fully grasp or appreciate before. In my daily routines, I sometimes found myself hurrying through processes without fully considering that perhaps patients may appreciate it if I paused and gave them more detailed information. Moving forward, I am going to try and slow down and take the time to communicate better," she said.
The sensitisation dialogues with healthcare providers on patient and healthcare users' rights will continue to all hospitals all over the country.
