Lara Adejoro
Radiologists in Nigeria have been advised to guard against leakages of patients’ information to prevent litigation.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, while speaking in Abuja on Monday at the sixth annual general meeting and scientific conference of the Association of Radiologists in Nigeria and 60th Annual General Meeting of the Association of Radiologists in West Africa, emphasised that challenges impending data security must be addressed.
The minister, who was represented by the Director of Hospital Services at the FMoH&SW, Dr Jimoh Salaudeen said, “You are all witnesses to the increasing litigations in our practice arising from patients’ awareness of their rights and privileges.
Pate, while assuring that the ministry is committed to continuing collaboration with ARIN, said, “So, leakages of patients’ information must be guarded against seriously with every sense of responsibility and deploy appropriate and efficient technology to prevent miscreants from invading the system.
“The place of right diagnosis which radiology practice largely represents in the management of any disease condition must be appreciated.”
The National President of ARIN, Prof Sule Saidu called on the Federal Government and other stakeholders to increase commitment to the improvement of service delivery, training and research in healthcare to ensure global best practices.
He stressed that the government’s commitment to improving the health sector would help to curtail medical tourism abroad and brain drain.
Saidu appealed to the government at various levels to pay more attention to the provision of more diagnostic equipment for the practice of radiology.
The Chairman of ARIN at the Federal Capital Territory and Local Organising Committee, Dr Agaja James lamented the migration of medical practitioners from rural to urban areas.
He also noted that the majority of medical practitioners have migrated from rural areas to cities in the Sub-Sahara region and that many have gone beyond the shore of Africa.
The ARIN chairman called on the government to find a lasting solution to the trend, to save the health sector from imminent collapse.
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