Kisumu County Hospital Health Care workers enlightened on health rights

KELIN facilitated the Continuous Medical Education (CME) session for Hospital staff at the Kisumu County Hospital on health related human rights medical care. The hospital had expressed the need to know more about patients’ health rights, and their responsibilities as the health care providers. They indicated that health rights are not fully understood by most health care workers, leading to health related human rights violations.

The aim of the meeting was to:

  1. Sensitize the staff on their rights and responsibilities as health care providers.
  2. Outline the rights of patients.
  3. Ensure the institution is adhering to Article 43(1) on the right to the highest attainable standard of health

KELIN’s Program Manager Onyango Ondeng’ and the Program Officer Jessica Oluoch conducted the sessions. Some of the laws discussed included the Constitution of Kenya 2010, the Kenya National Patients’ Rights Charter, the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, the Medical Practitioners’ and Dentists’ Act and the Health Bill.

Ms. Oluoch outlined the patients’ and the healthcare workers’ rights as per the existing legal framework.  She also discussed the relevant Kenyan cases that relate to the violations of such rights. Mr. Ondeng pointed out the responsibilities of the various stakeholders in ensuring the protection of human rights. The aspect of dispute resolution was also covered, including the various levels of resolving disputes in the medical realm.

KELIN fulfilled its mandate by ensuring that the health care providers at the meeting were aware of their responsibilities and are able to identify infringements of, not only their rights, but also the rights of their patients.

During the meeting KELIN informed the participants of the existence of the Court Users Committees (CUC) and its work in ensuring the protection of human rights, and promised to link them to the Committee for efficient reporting of cases.

Additionally, challenges in relation to people with disabilities were identified.  Guardians tend to overrule medical advice, even in situations where it is not the best interest of the patient.  It was pointed out that this was because medical staff were not fully aware of their responsibilities to zealously protect the patients’ rights.

As a follow on, KELIN will send the various legal instruments on health rights to three identified administrators who will then disseminate the materials to the rest of the medical staff.

To contribute to the discussion and for live updates follow KELIN on our social media platforms:

Twitter: @KELINkenya using hashtag #healthrights

For more information contact:

Onyango Ondeng, Programme Manager KELIN

Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV & AIDS (KELIN)

Aga Khan Road, Milimani opposite Jalaram Academy

PO Box 7708-40100 Kisumu

Tel +254790339965

Email: ondeng@kelinkenya.org