Patient rights need to be protected to ensure that health services are met in optimal conditions

Acting Dean of European University of Lefke (EUL) Faculty of Health Sciences Prof. Dr. Rümeysa Demirdamar attracted the attention to the matter of “Patient Rights” and made some statements.

Demirdamar said that, individuals from all walks of life are directed towards doctors and hospitals about different health problems and added that, “In this context, they benefit from some preventive, protective, treatment or rehabilitative health services”. Demirdamar emphasized that, in order to minimize the problems that patients can face in the process of receiving health services due their lack of knowledge when compared to the hospital and doctors and in order to ensure that health services are met in optimal conditions, patient rights need to be protected.

Demirdamar: Patient rights must be accepted as a reflection of basic human rights in the field of health services

Demirdamar described the patient rights as the reflection of basic human rights in the field of health services and pointed out that these rights are adopted in the constitution and other legislation and in international legal texts. Demirdamar further said that, this law has been prepared to regulate the procedures and principles regarding the enjoyment of patient rights, protection from violations of rights and the exercise of legal protection when necessary in a manner appropriate to human dignity in the all institutions that offer health services. She also said that, “Therefore, individuals in need of access to health services have been granted certain rights just because they are humans”, and added that patient rights must be accepted as a reflection of basic human rights in the field of health services.

Demirdamar said that, “Although the rights of the patient are perceived as rights that restrict the rights of the physician in terms of the rights of the physician and which are an additional responsibility (s) for the physicians; patient rights also provides for the protection of patient rights and increasing the standard of health services and strengthening the patient – physician – hospital relationship” and emphasized that with this effect created by Patient Rights, hospitals and physicians are more attentive to the patient in the process of offering health care. Demirdamar also pointed out that, in this context; in the process of offering the health service, the patient’s protection occurs due to the fact that the patient is merely sick, independent of the social position of the patient and is protected in the world, both by international texts and at national level.

Demirdamar: There are many health professionals who are active in the protection of patient rights

Demirdamar listed the patient rights as; providing, at minimum, equitable access to quality medical care, ensuring patients’ privacy and the confidentiality of their medical information, informing patients and obtaining their consent before employing a medical intervention, providing a safe clinical environment and being able to sue in any case of malpractice and added that there are many health professionals who are active in the protection of patient rights.

Demirdamar said that, “On the other hand, the presence of the codes which are directly related to the patient rights are not enough to protect these rights”, and added that in the process of implementing laws, the problems which are not related to the people involved in the health system such as nurses, social workers, health managers and doctors, should be taken into consideration and holistic corporate policies should be determined and implemented in order to eliminate these problems.