BUJUMBURA December 28th (ABP) – The Cabinet Meeting was held on Wednesday, December 22, 2021, under the chairmanship of the Head of State, Mr. Evariste Ndayishimiye, with 10 items on the agenda.
The Draft Decree on the Code of Ethics for Healthcare and Health Service Providers has been analyzed, according to the press release signed by the Secretary General and spokesperson of the State, Mr. Prosper Ntahorwamiye.
According to the press release, the right to health care is recognized by international and national legal instruments.
In the context of its various field and supervision visits, the ministry in charge of public health noted that certain aspects deserve improvement, with regard to the provision of health care and services in health facilities.
It is specified in that press release that the gaps are observed, in fact, from the reception until the discharge of the patient in the healthcare facilities, adding that all this insufficiency compared to the whole process of the provision of care and quality services, must be transcribed into a code that will serve as a professional guide, but also as a reference for the taking of sanctions in the event of non-compliance.
As indicated in the said press release, that Code, which is of very great importance, provides information on the provisions allowing the provision of quality services and care by the providers of all the services of a health facility, the limits, duties and obligations of patients, to facilitate the work of providers in a healthcare facility, as well as administrative and, where applicable, criminal sanctions, to be taken against any person having violated the provisions of that Code.
In general, according to that press release, the draft decree determines the rules, practices and principles by which any provider of health care and services should be inspired in the practice of their profession.
During the analysis of that bill, it emerged the observations according to which the Order of Physicians, an advisory body, seems to have replaced the State bodies, with regard to the monitoring of the behavior and failures of doctors at their homework. It is difficult to establish the responsibilities of care providers because more often, people outside the service do not have access to the places where they work and when it comes to establishing responsibilities in case of shortcomings, they must make use of the colleagues of the person alleged responsible.
Through the press release, it is pointed out that the Criminal Code under revision should take into account the offenses which can be committed in that sector, while recalling that the doctors realize that they are called on to perform everywhere in the country where they are assigned and produce reports on the interventions carried out and the problems encountered, but also, to teach medical ethics, to aspiring doctors, so that they commit themselves knowingly.
Regarding the issue of medical liability insurance, it deserves a great deal of thought, according to the press release, stressing that it is necessary to see, whether it is necessary to grant a special status to healthcare and health service providers, before implementing that Code. Being a Code, this text should be drawn up in the form of a law, the press release continues to say.
The Cabinet ultimately recommended a more in-depth analysis of this file, on the basis of all those observations, and bring the file back to the Cabinet Meeting.