Customer Service, a Key to Improve Health Delivery in Ghanaian Hospitals. (Patients are Subjects not Objects)

The government of Ghana allocates a huge part of the national budget to the health sector every year with the sole aim of improving the health status of the citizens. As health infrastructure and health education have developed considerably over the years, so has complains of maltreatment of patients at various hospitals spread and been reported by the media. This study is a cross sectional study that uses a quantitative method for data collection. Questionnaires were administered to people living in Tema and its environs, which are aged 18 years and above, have been to hospital at least twice in the past two years and were willing to participate in the study. Data was analysed using SPSS. The study revealed some factors that influence patient’s choice of hospitals for treatment, some negative experience those patients go through at the hospital and patients’ ability to seek information or complain about things that they do not like. The study reveals the need for health workers to be patient centred and the creation of the enabling environment to enable patients participate full during treatment. The study also divulges that patient’s need to be encouraged to ask questions during treatment, while channel for feedback should be created for patients to have direct contact to health workers.