Shocked and Horrified - I Take My Pen In Solidarity of Alleged Sexual Abuse Victim While In Hospital Care

I am shocked, horrified and refuse to be numbed by the recent report of a sexual abuse of a patient while in the care of Liberia’s  largest referral hospital in Monrovia reported in the local news today. It is in the spirit of solidarity, that I take my pen, to address important pending matter, from a social worker’s perspective – as it is a professional lens that I find most comfortable.

It is my understanding that the matter is rightly under the ambit of criminal investigation with arrest, detention and pending court action against the alleged perpetrator. Swift impartial justice must and should be served.

Yet this matter is not only a criminal justice matter.

From a social work perspective, a number of pertinent issues and questions should be addressed simultaneously.

A failure in the duty of care of the hospital to a patient entrusted with its care, by a person reported to be in its employ requires that accountability and responsibility for the failure at the highest level of management should be addressed.  In this respect, important questions to be addressed are: who had the overall responsibility to ensure the safety and well being of all patients in the care of the hospital facility? What systems are in place across all levels of the facilities management to monitor, prevent and report harm? Where did this system fail and what steps will be put in place to prevent reoccurrence and assure public’s trust?

When addressing these pertinent questions of duty of care failures, the management of the facility should commission professional independent and impartial inquiry with the aim of preventing reoccurring and seeking system improvement through actionable recommendations.

 Another important question to address is whether or not the particular incident is an isolated case or not? What systems are in place for patients and persons coming in contact with hospital to raise concern. What are the independent mechanisms to vet and test the system to ensure that it does into fail now or in the future.

Even more importantly, what are the steps taken by the hospital to support privacy, confidentiality, safety of the patient who suffered the sexual and gender based violence. What systems are in place for  medical, psychosocial and other recovery of the patient and family? What further support is needed?

The duty of care argument leaves the specific facility in question with no hiding place. They must come straight with answers to these questions.

 I will be waiting keenly for answers.