Kavango West commemorates World Patient Safety Day
The Directorate of Health and Social Services in the Kavango West Region commemorated World Patient Safety Day on 17 September at the Lutheran Medical Services Nkurenkuru Health Centre
The Region’s Health Director, Fransiska Hamutenya said that despite the role of medication in treating illnesses and stopping pain, it can be harmful depending on how it is prescribed, administered, monitored, and stored.
“Wrongful abuse of medication is harmful to the body and may result in disability or even lead to death,” said Hamutenya.
Assistance Pharmacist at the Centre, Pauline Silas enlightened the audience on the safety and side effects of medications and encouraged patients to refrain from demanding what they feel they ought to be prescribed when visiting hospitals.
She cautioned them against sharing medications which she described as a dangerous attitude that patients casually do and take lightly, which can also lead to using wrong dosage forms.
“Please store your medication safely as it imposes a danger on children at home and sometimes other people who may have different intentions such as committing abortion or suicide,” she concluded.
The day was commemorated under the theme ‘Medication Without Harm’, which was established in 2019 to raise awareness of medication-related harm, reduce harm, and enhance patients’ safety.
