A senior medical practitioner and lawyer, Dr Edward Addo Dankwa, has called on health professionals to prioritise thorough documentation and patient care to prevent legal challenges.

Speaking on JoyNews’ The Law, Dr Addo Dankwa highlighted the increasing number of medical negligence lawsuits being filed against healthcare providers and urged his colleagues to take proactive measures to safeguard themselves.

“To my colleague health professionals, we all see what's happening, more [legal cases] are coming. I will just ask that we do our documentation appropriately," he advised.

He emphasised the importance of treating each patient's case as though it could potentially result in legal action, stressing that proper record-keeping could be crucial in defending against claims of malpractice.

"Let's consider every patient, every folder before us, to be a potential legal case, and therefore whatever we are doing, we should document it appropriately," he said.

Dr Addo Dankwa noted that thorough documentation would not only help medical professionals protect themselves but would also make the work of legal counsel easier in case a suit arises.

“We should document it appropriately and be prepared in case something [legal] comes up on it, we will be able to defend ourselves, appropriately. It will make the Counsel’s work easier if we do the right things,” he added.

In addition to sound documentation practices, Dr Addo Dankwa stressed the need for healthcare workers to treat patients with respect and compassion, noting that every medical professional is a "potential patient" themselves.

"We should treat patients well. We should do what we have to do. We should have a full regard for life," he urged.

His remarks come at a time when the medical community in Ghana is facing a rising number of lawsuits related to alleged negligence, prompting discussions on how healthcare providers can better protect themselves and their patients.

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