Liberia: TNIMA Graduates Warned To Protect Patients' Confidentiality
... As Deputy Speaker says "country depends on health practitioners"
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, has warned graduates of the prestigious Tubman National Institute of Medical Arts (TNIMA) to respect and protect patients' confidentiality as a means of building confidence in the country’s healthcare system.
"When people's privacies are not spread in the public, making sure that people have confidence in the system, they will not think of seeking treatment in another country,” Koffa said during the 65th graduation ceremony of the TNIMA, which was held at the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town.
"It is the passion and demonstration that will make the difference and, when that is done, no one will go to Ghana to seek medical treatment because there will be trust in our health system.”
According to the Deputy Speaker, when politicians make mistakes, it ends up on social media and people will laugh about it, but when medical professionals make mistakes, someone either gets wounded or loses their life.
The Grand Kru County District #2 Representative also warned the TNIMA graduates to come into the healthcare sector with passion and commitment to the job because the entire country depends on the health sector for survival.
He pointed out that amid huge challenges the country faces in the healthcare sector, the passion and professionalism of health workers as well as patient confidentiality will create the resilience needed in the sector.
“The passion that you bring will create resilience in the health sector. You must perform where you are assigned as though the entire sector depends on you. This is the kind of passion that we need in the health sector. As healthcare practitioners, you must be able to keep patients’ confidentiality. If you don't have the passion, you are in the wrong place in this profession,” Koffa noted.
"Today we celebrate, we will have all the fun, but tomorrow is the issue of the resilience of the healthcare sector. Yesterday you embarked on this journey, you came in as a class, struggled, and reached the finish line."
He also used the occasion to remind the healthcare professionals to at all times, exhibit what he called, passion, responsible and professional attributes and be resilient to the job, something he noted will build trust and confidence in the healthcare delivery system of the Country.
“If you don’t have passion for the profession, you are in the wrong place."
Meanwhile, Dr. Jerry F. Brown, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, urged graduates to consider their graduation process as the beginning of their academic sojourn so as to be willing to learn more.
According to him, their desire to forge ahead should be premier while at the same time executing their duty with a high degree of professionalism.
“This should not be the end. Be different and stand tall as a different set of health workers. Be passionate and let patients’ care be your foremost priority. JFK stands ready to work with you,” Dr. Brown cautioned the graduates.
“As part of our plan, we will work towards ensuring a degree program at TNIMA. There are so many institutions that came after us that are offering degrees and so we cannot be just confined to a mere diploma program when we have better learning and practical facilities,” Brown noted.
In his valedictory remark, Emmanuel T. Tokpah vowed the graduates’ professional commitment to the provision and delivery of good healthcare services to the nation.
“You can depend on us for professional healthcare delivery. With self-discipline, and commitment, our dedication is to celebrate today. Liberia needs a high and quality manpower to serve especially in the rural parts, though not leaving out the urban sector, we are ready to serve,” vowed Student Tokpah.
“To my fellow graduates, let’s always remember to respond responsively to your responsibility. Let's not bury our time at TNIMA and the time wasted on us at TNIMA. We are capable enough to make the necessary changes needed in the health sector. Do not always wait for opportunity, use the knowledge acquired to create more opportunities,” the dux among other things added.