LASUTH harps on excellent service delivery as catalyst to improved healthcare

The management of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, on Friday said that excellent service delivery was the required catalyst to improve healthcare services in the hospital.

Prof. Adewale Oke, the Chief Medical Director of LASUTH, made the assertion at the 2017 Service Charter Week held at the MRC Auditorium, LASUTH, Lagos, with theme “Excellent Service Delivery: A Moving Target’’.

In his address of welcome, Oke said that the management of LASUTH would not relent in making the institution the pride of the nation when it came to healthcare provision.

“This is a centre built on excellent service delivery as a mission statement, so, we will always hold this mission in high esteem as a drive to a better healthcare delivery.

“LASUTH has a name when it comes to positive relations with our patients and we will always strive to improve that without constant reminders on what we need to do.

“We will always work to meet the expectations of our patients and even exceed their expectations; a way for us to show the world that we are ready for world class healthcare provision.

“Excellent service delivery is our watchword and the hospital management will continue to recognise and reward those that are diligent in their work for a better service delivery,’’ Oke said.

Also, Dr Rotimi Coker in his paper, “Attitudinal Change for Service Excellence’’, at a symposium at the event, said that qualitative service delivery by health workers is a non-negotiable attribute.

“Providing high quality service in our hospital is a non-negotiable attribute in providing better healthcare delivery; this can make our patients trust and come back to us.

“The right attitude is important, especially when it is about closing hours and we need to attend to more patients; this is a time we need to be passionate with their situation and not shout at them.

“Our patients are not stable emotionally and we need not compound their problems; they came to us for solutions to their problems, hence we should be their problem solver.

“In our work, attitude is the best representative and our attitude goes a long way in making lasting impression on people,’’ he said.

Coker said that health workers should imbibe the right attitude to work and possess excellent qualities that could distinguish them in their career as people that save lives.

“As a healthcare provider, we must be friendly, respectful, polite, helpful, optimistic, proactive, compassionate and honest.

“Our patients must be satisfied with the service we have provided; we should give them adequate information on the progress of their situation and not medical jargons.

“We must enjoy our work and always make ourselves available for work as life savers and we should be proactive, honest and open to our patients on the status of their health,’’ he said.

Also, Dr Joan Oluyemi, Service Improvement Officer, Lagos State Ministry of Health, urged healthcare workers to justify their salary with the qualitative service they rendered to patients.

“We need to bear in mind that government is paying us because of the services we render.

“We should be diligent in delivering service to our patients; we should care about what people will say about us because the impression we create matters a lot as it is our representative.

“There is need for healthcare providers to also keep to their words; our word is our bond, hence we should stick to our promise about appointments and other commitments.

“We should also have complimentary attitudes; we must greet our patients, assure them of solutions to their problems and be patient with them,’’ she said.