Leratong Hospital hosts seminar on patient wellness

Leratong Hospital and the Gauteng Department of Health celebrated World Patient Safety Incidents Day.

The seminar’s purpose was to bring various health departments and health professionals together and educate them on how they can be more efficient in dealing with patients and prioritising their well-being.

World Patient Safety Day (WPSD), is celebrated annually on 17 September, it aims to raise global awareness about patient safety and call for solidarity and united action by all countries and international partners to reduce patient harm. According to Leratong Hospital CEO Dr Dieketseng Moloi, patient safety focuses on preventing and reducing risks, errors and harm that happen to patients during the provision of health care.

“It is important that health professionals are aware of the needs of patients. It goes beyond the call of duty of just urgently working on emergencies or casualties, rather to ensure accountability on the hospital and all its workers when helping those in need,” Moloi said.

According to the World Health Organisation’s website, World Patient Safety Day is one of 11 official global public health campaigns marked by the organisation.

Moloi also said one of the most important aspects of this awareness is to also hope to gain the trust of patients in need as medical professionals help them.

“Patient and doctor relationships are very important, no human being wakes up intending to harm themselves, it’s up to us as medical professionals to assist and bring calm when things go bad for them.”