SUNU Health Calls for Cost-Effective Qualitative Healthcare Delivery

SUNU Health Nigeria Limited, a Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO) has called for qualitative healthcare delivery at a cost-effective price.

The Managing Director, Dr Patrick Korie, made the call in Lagos on Thursday during the Providers Enrollee Forum webinar, which was themed “Medical Ethics and the Delivery of Quality Care.”

Dr Korie said that the webinar was a routine meeting in which the HMO, with all stakeholders, examined where they could provide best practices for the benefit of all.

He said that the webinar was also to ensure the delivery of qualitative healthcare at cost cost-effective price that was quality and effective using providers.

Korie said that looking at the whole scenario of what the economy was all about now, thinking about medical ethics and how to provide care was very important.

According to him, when considering medical ethics and how they impact one’s care, it might be very important to discuss ethics, not only with medical practitioners but also with those who require care.

The Guest Speaker, Rev Fr Udochukwu Ugorgi, said that today’s patients were becoming more aware of their rights and therefore, more litigation conscious.

“The medical practitioner must be vast, not only in his medical field or specialty but also must be alert to his duties and responsibilities in practice.

“He or she must be conversant with the laws and the ethics of the profession to avoid liability suits. Also, the practitioner must be aware of the need for defensive practice and the need to anticipate legal issues before they occur.

“The practitioner should also be prepared to defend himself or herself in a court of law or before a professional disciplinary tribunal. (O.J. Odia & 2015) A.R. George).

“Given liability suits and their increasing burden, practitioners should realize the importance of liability insurance cover.” (O.J. Odia & A.R. George, 2015),” he said.

Ugorgi recommended Hospital Ethics Committee, Ethics Rounds, Patients Ethics Education, Patients and Physician Bill, and Grand Medical Ethics Consult to sustain policy and protocol implementation and create a healthy culture in clinical settings.