Penplusbytes, the
lead ICT organisation engaged in the SEND-Ghana People for Health (P4H) project
in four regions of the country, has begun the deployment of the P4H online
platform in beneficiary districts in the Northern Region.
The deployment involves the orientation of
various stakeholders engaged in the health sector otherwise known as District
Citizens Monitoring Committees (DCMCs) as well as visiting staff and management
of key health centres.
The P4H platform, developed by Penplusbytes
seeks to facilitate citizens’ access to relevant health information especially
the patients’ charter, and provide an avenue for them to report their
grievances or challenges in accessing healthcare at various health centres in
their communities.
So far, the Penplusbytes team led by its
Executive Director KwamiAhiabenu II has conducted orientation workshops for
DCMCs in the Yendi Municipality,East Mamprusi, Gushiegu and Central Gonja
Districts of the Northern Region.
At the Central Gonja District for instance,
DCMCs were taken through the concept of the P4H project and its objectives as
well as the essence of health workers communicating effectively to their
clients in a satisfactory manner with relevant information.
Mr.Ahiabenu explained that, one of the key
components of effective and efficient healthcare delivery is through effective
communication between healthcare personnel and their clients as well as other
stakeholders.
He therefore urged healthcare workers to
endeavour to seek feedback from their clients and respond appropriately so as
to elicit the desired results that would lead to efficient fight against HIV,
maternal and infant mortalities and among others.
The P4H platform, also gives a patient or
their relative the power to report any type of rights violation and poor
services rendered to him/her by health personnel in any health facility in the
regions where the P4H project is being implemented.
KwabenaTabiri, one of the lead developers of the
platform, said it seeks to empower citizens to report their concerns on any
poor service delivery for immediate resolution so as to achieve quality provision
of healthcare from service providers.
The P4H platform can be accessed via
people4health.org. One can choose to log in anonymously or provide his/her
personal details but managers of the system will protect the person’s identity.
As soon as the issue the patient reported is
resolved, he/she will be contacted via sms if only the patient provided his/her
contact number at the time of accessing the platform to make a complaint.
People who access the platform to lodge
complaints are expected toprovide evidence in pictures, audio or video to back
their claims so that staff and managers of the health facility involved can be
held responsible.
The P4H platform is however not limited to
only challenges in the health sector. Issues pertaining to the water and
sanitation sector which is one of the issues being addressed by the P4H project
can also be reported to local authorities.
District Health Management Committees,
Regional Health Directorates, Ghana Health Service and other institutions are
deeply involved in the investigation of reported cases of abuse or poor service
delivery by patients or their relatives to the platform.
The P4H is a 5 year project, being
implemented in Greater Accra, Eastern, Volta and Northern Regions by a
consortium of governmental and nongovernmental organisations including
SEND-Ghana, Penplusbytes and the GNA. SEND-Ghana is the lead implementer of P4H
whereas the GNA and Penplusbytes provide communications and ICT services
respectively.
The project is benefiting 20 districts in all
four regions. In the Northern Region, it is being implemented in Karaga,
Central Gonja, East Mamprusi and Yendi.
The objectives of the P4H project include
reducing inequalities in the delivery of health services through the promotion
of good governance and practices of accountability, transparency, equity and
participation.
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