When Patients Blame Nurses, Look at the System – Eva Mensah

byEbenezer MaduguOctober 29, 20260 The Director of Nursing and Midwifery at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Eva Mensah, has urged the public to look beyond individual nurses and examine systemic problems in healthcare facilities when patients receive poor services.

She said inadequate medical supplies and other logistical challenges sometimes forced nurses to ask patients or their relatives to purchase essential items, creating the impression that health workers were insensitive to their needs.

Speaking at the TMG Nurses Forum, Madam Eva Mensah, cited an instance where a patient’s relative was asked to buy diapers from a roadside shop, leaving the patient without the needed supplies until they were provided.

She said such situations highlighted the challenges nurses faced while working to provide care, and called for efforts to address the underlying problems rather than directing public frustration at health workers.

“When you target the system, then you are forced to interrogate the system and solve the problems,” she said.

Madam Eva also advocated the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital health systems to improve patient care amid nursing staff shortages and the migration of experienced professionals.

She explained that AI-powered decision-support tools could help community health workers identify patients with dangerously high blood pressure or blood sugar levels and refer them for early treatment.

She said early intervention could prevent serious complications, including strokes, and reduce pressure on emergency departments.

She urged stakeholders to involve nurses and midwives in healthcare leadership and decision-making, stressing the need to address operational challenges and improve service delivery.

Facebook X Reddit Copy Link Add a comment Add a comment Leave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.