Ghost Patients Check Health Facilities

Services provided by the country’s health care system will be checked by “ghost patients”, carrying with them checklists on how they were treated and what was given to them after their “consultation”.  This was announced Thursday by DOH Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial during the first national staff meeting in Dumaguete City.  Health facilities include government hospitals, barangay health centers and clinics.

Aside from monitoring government health professionals in terms of their skills and behavior, results of the checking will be used to further enhance DOH policies and trainings on skills and attitude towards the public.  Ubial said that the most important person in a health facility is the patient.  She reminded civil servants in the health sector that the patient is the reason for existence of health facilities and that doctors, nurses and other health professionals should live up to the responsibilities that they have sworn to do.