Treat Patients With Care, Nurses Urged

Mr Mark Anthony Azongo, a Paediatric Nurse Specialist at the Upper East Regional Hospital, has called on nurses and midwives to avoid quarrels with patients or their relatives in their health facilities.

He said such attitudes were “unprofessional” adding that health professionals should endeavour to use dialogue to address emerging altercations on their premises.

Mr Azongo, who is a Principal Nursing Officer (PNO) and a member of the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives (GCNM), made the call when he chaired a general meeting of Paediatric, General and Enrolled Nurses at the Paediatric Unit of the hospital.

The meeting was intended to review activities of the unit for the past year, and to offer staff the opportunity to strategize for the new year.

Mr Azongo urged nurses to continue to put up their best saying “we are there for the children, and that is our work, let’s encourage mothers to rush in with their children and let’s not be harsh towards them. If someone delays before coming to the hospital, we don’t have to blame them, but rather thank them for coming.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sideline of the meeting, Mr Azongo used the opportunity to admonish mothers to desist from administering “over the counter drugs” to children without prescription.

Mr Azongo advised nurses to pursue specialist programmes at the GCNM to upgrade their knowledge and improve on the quality of service delivery in the society.

Mrs Justina Ayorobila Gockah, an official of the hospital, called on nurses to adhere to the proper dress code saying “you must appear as nurses, you the males must not wear beards, you must all appear decent and smart.”