Page 21 - Spring Graduation Booklet (SESSION-1)(19Oct2022)

SCHOOL OF LAW
FACULTY OF COMMERCE, MANAGEMENT
& LAW
DOCTOR OF LAWS

CANDIDATE: WEYULU Cornelius V

CANDIDATE’S DISSERTATION

SAFEGUARDING PATIENT SAFETY IN HEALTHCARE SETTINGS
IN NAMIBIA: AN APPRAISAL OF THE REGULATORY
FRAMEWORK GOVERNING HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS’
CONDUCT AND PRACTICE

The doctoral study was undertaken and completed under the supervision of Professor
John Baloro of the University of Namibia as Main-Supervisor and Dr Tapiwa Victor
Warikandwa of the University of Namibia as Co-Supervisor.

The candidate evaluated the appropriateness of the Namibian regulatory framework
for healthcare professions to contribute to the improvement of patient safety. A
mixed method approach of quantitative and qualitative was employed in the study.
A traditional model of professional self-regulation was adopted as the theoretical
framework of the study. His study concluded that Namibia has adopted a hybrid form
of a traditional model of professional self-regulation, which is predominantly person-
centred and premised on individual accountability with little or no regard for systemic
and organisational factors such as bad policies and procedures, lack of resources and
poor organisational culture that may compromise patient safety.

In this respect, the Namibian regulatory framework for healthcare professions may
be regarded as appropriate, but inadequate to improve patient safety. The study
recommends a shift from the traditional way of regulating healthcare professions that
focuses exclusively on individual healthcare practitioners to one that includes systemic
and organisational determinants of patient safety, and simultaneously ensures that
both individuals and systems can be held accountable when appropriate.

21