Iyke: Health Professionals tasked to employ principles of human rights in dealing with clients

Mr Joseph Whital, Dep CHRAJ Commissioner

Students of Bolga NTS in a pose with Mr Wital and his entourage

The Deputy Commissioner of CHRAJ, Joseph Whital, has challenged nurses and other health care professionals to employ a right based approach in dealing with clients particularly the poor and the aged. In doing so, nurses as care givers should consider using basic principles of non-discrimination and the respect for human rights when exercising their official duties. These when put into practice could serve as healing antidotes for patients with both physical and psychological health problems. Mr Whital was addressing final year students of the Bolgatanga Nurses Training School after taking them through a nine week intensive basic human right programmes. The Commission of Human Right and Administrative Justice CHRAJ introduced the basic Human Right Programmes for Health Workers in the school in 2010. The aim was to equip the student nurses with human right concepts and to inculcate in them a culture of respect for human rights of people particularly clients. The training is also a joint collaboration by the Nurses and Midwives Council and CHRAJ to train nurses on how best they can take care of clients using the principles of non-discrimination and human right. The overall goal is to ensure that clients that visit the various health facilities are accorded and treated with the human dignity they deserve. This year’s graduation ceremony on human right for 101 students of the Bolgatanga Nurses Training school was the third in the series to be organised at the school. Courses treated in the 9-week training programme included children’s rights, domestic violence, sexual harassment, mandates of the commission and ethical values and standard of nurses among others. Giving the course overview of the training programme, the Principal Investigator at the regional Office of CHRAJ, Augustus Atibila said the introduction of the course was to promote a culture and passion of mutual respect especially in the light of the alarming rate of human rights violation and abuses in the country’s health facilities. Mr Atibila however implored health professionals particularly nurses and midwives to show love, care and passion to their clients in the course of their duties. The Regional Director of CHRAJ, Mr Kenneth Adabayeri, urged the student nurses to act as agents of change by demonstrating what they have learnt to better the lives of their clients. In reaction, the course prefect Edina Teni urged her colleagues to give practical meaning to the knowledge acquired. She commended the joint effort of CHRAJ and the Health Sector of the region for the training. At the end of the event students that were consistent during the training programme were recognised and awarded with certificates of participation.

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