The Advocacy Against Medical Negligence and Malpractice Initiative (AAMENAMI) has urged Nigerians to know and exercise their rights as patients, saying that greater awareness could help prevent avoidable harm and improve healthcare experiences.

Founder of AAMENAMI, Mrs Nkechi Azike Igogori, gave the advice yesterday during a community outreach programme in Pig Farm Estate, Oke-Aro, Lagos, organised to educate residents on patients’ rights and how to recognise and respond to possible medical negligence.

The programme, themed “Know Your Rights: How to Recognise and Prevent Medical Negligence,” focused on helping participants become more active and informed about their healthcare and encouraging better communication between patients and healthcare providers.

Igogori told the participants that patients have the right to be treated with respect, dignity and courtesy, as well as the right to receive clear information about their medical condition and proposed treatment.

She also encouraged patients to ask questions whenever they do not understand their diagnosis, medication or treatment.

She also stressed that being in a hospital does not mean patients should remain silent about concerns regarding their care.

According to her, patients also have the right to access their medical records, to complain when they are not treated properly, and to receive adequate information before giving consent to certain procedures and treatments.

She said AAMENAMI was concerned about preventable harm and practices that could unnecessarily put patients at risk, noting that the Foundation was not established to work against medical professionals, but to promote better communication and cooperation between healthcare providers and patients.

Igogori, however, cautioned that not every negative outcome or death in a hospital should automatically be regarded as medical negligence, noting that some complications may occur despite the efforts of medical professionals.

She also educated the participants on warning signs of possible medical negligence, including repeated failure to respond to serious symptoms, deterioration in a patient’s condition without appropriate attention, suspected medication errors, dismissal of important symptoms without reasonable assessment, and inadequate monitoring of seriously ill patients.

One of the facilitators, Mrs Yemisi Zaria, said medical negligence had become a source of grave concern and urged the participants to take an active role in matters concerning their health and to share the knowledge gained with family members, friends and neighbours.