The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Diana Atwine, has launched the Routine Client Satisfaction Feedback Initiative, a tool that will guide clients as key stakeholders in the management of health services.
She made these remarks on June 28, 2024, at Kiruddu National Referral Hospital, where she stated that the tool will enable the Ministry of Health to collect and analyze data electronically with the aim of being transparent and actionable.
According to Atwine, the tool will also generate instant feedback on the quality of health services provided in health facilities so that gaps can be identified and addressed to improve the quality of services in the national health care system.
“We will provide a physical tool and a QR code to access the tool online, allowing the public to assess us easily. Health services are paid for by the public through taxes, so they are entitled to the best care possible. Special thanks to the SCAP team and the United States Agency for International Development (USALD-Uganda) for their timely support and continued partnership,” Atwine said.
She stated that through this feedback initiative, outputs include holding health workers and facility heads accountable, acknowledging exceptional services where clients are satisfied, addressing issues of extortion, and using data to drive improvements.
Atwine further cautioned health workers who think that during the course of their duties, they shouldn’t be questioned or respond to the patient’s concerns. She noted that this habit is not acceptable and promotes a culture of demeaning patients, yet they are the reason health workers exist and get paid.
She further revealed that the client feedback initiative will enable patients and other members of the public to electronically report how they have been handled in health facilities by scanning QR codes that will be placed in different areas in all hospitals.
The initiative is supported by the SCAP team and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID-Uganda), and it aims to promote transparency and accountability in the healthcare sector.