By Rancy S. Teewia
The Liberia Medical and Dental Council has launched a new Code of Conduct for health professionals in Liberia demanding physicians to always respect the rights of patients, amongst others.
The new Code also instructs that no medical practitioner should insult each other at work, saying that a physician shall always respect the right of patients because every patient is an individual with real feeling and emotion like anyone else.
Noting that health professionals have vital roles to play in helping to protect patients from harm and taking care and deliver the right treatment to them with sincerity and on time. The new Code provides that when working with patients, health workers should think about how their patients feel and what the most appropriate response to their problems is.
The Code said “Health practitioner should respect confidentiality as professional people. “And no one is allowed to discuss a patient no matter what condition they are found to be faced with. All patients should be treated equally, no matter their color, be they black or white, or whatever their ethnic, religious background, or political affiliations.
. The launch took place on Wednesday April 10, 2019 at the conference Hall of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, 22nd Street Sinkor in Monrovia.
During the opening of this Ceremony, the Chairman on the Drafting Committee, Registrar General of the Liberia Dental and Medical Council, Dr. Moses G.Y Pewu, Said it is during the Administration of Former Health Minister, Dr. Walter Gborlekaley, and Dr. Brandy Dahn, Deputy Minister and Chief Medical Officer they decided to put this Code of Conduct together.
The Drafting Committee Chairman said the Code of Conduct is a result of the complaints received and continue to from the public and other health professionals.
Based on this reason, the Health Ministry wrote LMDC to spearhead the writing of the Code of Conduct for Health Professionals in Liberia, and the minister gave LMDC guideline to follow in drafting the new code of Conduct for Health Practitioners in Liberia.
In the meantime, the Chairperson of Liberia Medical and Dental Council (LMDC), Dr. Linda Birch, extended her thanks and appreciation to those who contributed toward the drafting of the Code of Conduct
She said, “This document will be used to protect all health Workers, the public and Liberia at large.” Dr. Birch said prior to the launching ceremony, LMDC intends to call all medical practitioners around the Country.
She noted that because there is no sufficient budgetary bring all medical practitioners around the Country, they as health authorities decided to go out to all three health regions in Liberia because they don’t want no excuse.
The new Code of Conduct, she said is to serve as a guidance to all health professionals, and that all principles within the document will be upheld as all medical practitioners around the Country will be held responsible if anyone goes contrary to the law .
She maintained that there will be a penalty associated with breaching the new Code of Conduct including suspension, fine, amongst others. Dr. Birch also added that LMDC is functioning in every health capacities contrary to notion that the Dental Council which was established by law and pass into law in 2010, is just to issue licenses.
Representative of the Minister of Health, Mr. Vaifee Tulay Said they will work to support Liberia Medical and Dental Council LMDC in order to ensure a better health system in Liberia under the leadership of President George Manneh Weah Pro-poor’s agenda.
Mr.Tulay who is the deputy minister for planning also said to function as medical practitioner or to own a medical facility, one must have a license and be accredited by LMDC in order to carry on duty, adding that the ministry will support LMDC to enforce the process for a better health system.
Deputy Minister Tulay also said every institution have their Code Conduct that they use to function, and it shouldn’t be Strange to anybody if the health sector have her own code of conduct He also advised every medical institutions to check the licenses of theirs employees.
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