Senate to partner solicitors on health summit
NAN-HG-5
Summit
By Kemi Oladipo
Lagos, Nov.16, 2016 (NAN) The Senate Committee on Health, in collaboration with First Counsel Solicitors (Medical Law Consultants), will convene a Medical Law Summit, an official has said.
The Chief Organiser of the summit, Mr Laolu Osanyin, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Wednesday that the forum was designed for Chief Medical Directors of public and private hospitals in the country.
He said the proposed summit is scheduled for Dec. 9 at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
| The theme of the summit is: “Creating a Medicolegal Environment in Nigerian Hospitals: Medical Negligence and Non-Compliance To The National Health Act 2014″. Osanyin, who is currently the first and only African member of the Board of the World Association for Medical Law, said that the summit would be highly beneficial. He added that heads of professional health associations, other leaders in the Nigerian health system and healthcare professionals would be involved. The organiser explained that the forum was crucial because of the constant increase in allegations of medical malpractice and medical negligence, emanating from public and private hospitals all over Nigeria. “Most medical practitioners are not familiar with the law which affects the growth and development of the healthcare system. “There is need to create what I call a medico-legal environment in Nigerian hospitals by training the medical practitioners for example on medico-legal protocols on consent and informed consent. “And also on medical negligent claims emanating from medical or surgical errors,’’ he said. Osanyin said there are also criminal medico-legal issues which included refusal to treat emergency patients, medical recklessness and failure to obtain certificate of standards. “Commercialisation of tissues, organs and blood, leakage of patient’s information, among several others. “Furthermore, the summit is necessary due to high level of non-compliance of the National Health Act by Nigerian healthcare facilities and professionals. “The summit is aimed at training the leadership of the Nigerian health system on how to prevent their facilities from liabilities, by creating a medico-legal environment in health facilities all over the country,” Osanyin said. He said that the summit would be declared open by the President of the Senate, Sen. Bukola Saraki. “The Special Guest of honour will be Prof. Isaac Adewole, Minister of Health, and the Chief Host is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Sen. (Dr) Lanre Tejuoso,” Osanyin said. The organiser added that the expected participants include the National Council on Health, Permanent Secretaries in the federal and state ministries of health, the chief medical directors of all federal and state government hospitals. “Chairmen Medical Advisory Council (CMAC) of all Federal and state Government Hospitals, Legal Officers of Federal and state hospitals. “Provosts of federal and state Teaching Hospital, State Hospitals Boards, Chief Medical Directors of Private Hospitals, the Nigerian Medical Association and all Health care Professionals,” Osanyin said. According to him, Prof. Mustafa Danesi, a Professor of Medicine and World renowned expert in Clinical Governance and Quality Care Issues; Dr Abdulmimuni Ibrahim, Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria; Prof. Ayo Atsenuwa, Professor of Public Law and Dean Faculty of Law, UNILAG, are expected to present papers at the summit. (NAN) OKG/ERO/MST |