RismadarVoice Reporters
September 17, 2026
Health professionals have been urged to make patient safety a collective responsibility as the world marks World Patient Safety Day.
The Chief Medical Director of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, UPTH, Professor Chituru Orluwene, made the call during an event organised by the hospital to commemorate the day.
Professor Orluwene said the annual observance is designed to raise global awareness about patient safety and promote collaboration among patients, families, caregivers and healthcare workers.
He stressed that every diagnosis, prescription, medical procedure and hospital admission involves a human life entrusted to the care of health professionals.
According to him, ensuring patient safety should not be left to doctors, nurses or any particular department, but should involve everyone who contributes to the delivery of healthcare services.
The UPTH chief medical director also reaffirmed the hospital’s commitment to improving early detection and screening programmes for hypertension, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases among its patients.
Speaking on the theme of the event, “Safe Care for Non-Communicable Diseases,” a Consultant Physician and Endocrinologist in the Department of Internal Medicine at UPTH, Professor Sunday Chineneye, described patient safety as the foundation of quality healthcare.
He emphasised the need for healthcare providers to prioritise safe practices in the management and treatment of patients living with non-communicable diseases.
Also speaking, the Deputy Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee Services, UPTH, Professor Kennedy Nkporbu, said patient care must remain a major priority in the hospital.
Professor Nkporbu stressed the importance of continuously educating healthcare workers on safety measures and procedures required to protect patients while delivering medical services.
He said sustained awareness and adherence to safety protocols were essential to improving the quality of care and reducing preventable risks within healthcare facilities.