The Anambra State House of Assembly has passed a resolution urging the executive arm of government to procure and install 24-hour remote surveillance Closed-Circuit Television cameras in all public health facilities across the state.
The lawmakers demanded that the CCTV footage be independently monitored by the State Ministry of Health and independent complaint desk officers to ensure transparency.
According to them, the initiative is aimed at eliminating medical negligence and restoring public trust and the dwindling confidence of residents in public health facilities.
The resolution followed a motion sponsored by the member representing Njikoka 1 Constituency, Chidi Ibemeka, during plenary on Wednesday.
Ibemeka noted that the essence of the initiative is to tackle growing concerns over medical laxity, slow emergency responses, and unprofessional conduct by healthcare personnel.
He said the development would serve as a global best practice for quality assurance in healthcare, providing an unbiased record of events that protects both patients from negligence and medical practitioners from false accusations.
He said, “The initiative is vital for restoring the dwindling confidence of Anambra residents in public healthcare. Many families currently flee to private hospitals due to a perceived lack of commitment at state facilities, with particular reference to the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Amaku, Awka.
Recurring reports and public outcries regarding alleged medical negligence, slow emergency response times, and perceived unprofessional conduct by some healthcare personnel led to avoidable loss of lives.
“The Emergency Room, Intensive Care Units and Labour Wards are high-pressure zones where every second counts, and where the presence of accountability measures can significantly improve the quality of patient care.
“In the modern digital age, remote surveillance will be monitored from the Ministry of Health and independent complaint desk officers, who shall not be staff of the hospital.
“This will serve as a global best practice for quality assurance in healthcare, providing an unbiased record of events that protects both the patient from negligence and the medical practitioner from false accusations.”
Supporting the motion, the Majority Leader of the House, Ikenna Ofodeme, stressed that CCTV footage would serve as documentary evidence to ensure that diligent workers are protected while negligent ones are held accountable in the event of deaths caused by the carelessness of health workers.
“It is meant to monitor the activities of health workers and patient care. It tends to checkmate the laxity of medical personnel, particularly under emergency situations in public hospitals,” Ofodeme added.
On his part, the member representing Ogbaru 1 Constituency, Noble Igwe, stressed the urgent need for an independent monitoring unit to serve as a critical check against workplace laxity and ensure that staff remain focused on patient care.
