ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC HOSPITAL, KOFORIDUA
PRIVACY NOTICE
1. INTRODUCTION
St. Joseph Catholic Hospital, Koforidua (“the Hospital”, “we”, “us” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality and security of personal information entrusted to us.
This Privacy Notice explains how the Hospital collects, uses, stores, discloses and protects personal data obtained through our healthcare services, administrative activities and this website.
The Hospital processes personal data in accordance with the Ghana Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843) and applicable professional, ethical and healthcare confidentiality requirements.
2. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR PERSONAL DATA?
St. Joseph Catholic Hospital, Koforidua is responsible for determining the purposes and manner in which personal data is processed by the Hospital.
The Hospital has designated a Data Protection Supervisor (DPS) to monitor compliance with data protection requirements, support data protection governance and coordinate data protection matters within the Hospital.
3. INFORMATION WE MAY COLLECT
Depending on how you interact with the Hospital, we may collect and process information such as:
Name and contact details;
* Date of birth and other identification information;
* Ghana Card or other identification information where required;
* Medical and health information;
* Medical history, diagnosis, treatment and clinical records;
* Medical imaging and diagnostic information;
* Payment, billing and administrative information;
* Information provided when making enquiries or requesting services;
* Information relating to staff, students, researchers, contractors and other individuals who interact with the Hospital; and
* Information generated through your use of our website, where applicable.
We seek to collect only information that is necessary and relevant for the intended purpose.
4. HOW WE COLLECT PERSONAL DATA
Personal data may be collected through:
* Direct interaction with the Hospital;
* Registration and provision of healthcare services;
* Medical consultations and treatment;
* Forms and applications;
* Telephone, email or other communications;
* Referrals and other healthcare providers;
* Authorized third parties; and
* Other lawful sources.
5. WHY WE USE PERSONAL DATA
The Hospital may process personal data for purposes including:
* Providing medical treatment and healthcare services;
* Maintaining accurate medical and administrative records;
* Communicating with patients, relatives or authorized persons where appropriate;
* Managing appointments and healthcare services;
* Meeting legal and regulatory obligations;
* Public health and reporting obligations;
* Managing employment and staff-related matters;
* Conducting authorized research and quality improvement activities;
* Protecting the vital interests of patients and staff;
* Managing hospital operations and administration;
* Protecting the security of our systems and facilities; and
* Responding to enquiries and requests submitted through our website.
Personal data will not be used for purposes incompatible with the purpose for which it was collected unless permitted by law or otherwise lawfully authorized.
6. LEGAL BASIS FOR PROCESSING
The Hospital processes personal data only where there is a lawful basis to do so.
Depending on the circumstances, this may include:
* Provision of healthcare and medical treatment;
* Compliance with legal and regulatory obligations;
* Employment administration and staff management;
* Public health and reporting obligations;
* Protection of vital interests;
* Consent, where consent is required or applicable; and
* Other lawful grounds permitted under applicable law.
7. HEALTH AND MEDICAL INFORMATION
Health information is treated as confidential and is subject to appropriate legal, professional and security safeguards.
Access to patient information is restricted to authorized persons who require the information for legitimate healthcare, administrative, legal or other authorized purposes.
The Hospital will not disclose patient information to unauthorized persons except where disclosure is permitted or required by law, authorized by the patient, or otherwise justified under applicable legal and professional requirements.
8. HOW WE PROTECT PERSONAL DATA
The Hospital implements appropriate administrative, technical and organizational safeguards to protect personal data against unauthorized access, loss, damage, misuse, alteration or disclosure.
These measures include, where appropriate:
* Role-based access controls;
* Password controls;
* Secure storage of physical records;
* Restricted access to sensitive areas;
* Confidentiality obligations;
* Staff data protection training;
* Secure handling and transmission of information;
* Audit and monitoring mechanisms;
Access to personal data is based on the principle of least privilege, meaning that personnel should only have access to information necessary for their authorized duties.
9. SHARING OF PERSONAL DATA
The Hospital may disclose personal data where necessary and lawful, including to:
* Authorized healthcare professionals;
* Relevant healthcare institutions or providers involved in patient care;
* Regulatory or statutory authorities where required by law;
* Service providers processing information on behalf of the Hospital;
* Insurers or other authorized payment-related entities where necessary;
* Researchers where the processing has been appropriately authorized; and
* Other persons or organizations where disclosure is permitted or required by law.
The Hospital applies data minimisation when sharing personal information and seeks to ensure that only information necessary for the specific purpose is disclosed.
Where third parties process personal data on behalf of the Hospital, appropriate contractual and data protection arrangements shall be maintained.
10. RETENTION OF PERSONAL DATA
The Hospital retains personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the relevant clinical, legal, operational and regulatory requirements.
Retention periods may vary depending on the type and purpose of the information.
When personal data is no longer required, it shall be securely disposed of or deleted in accordance with the Hospital’s approved retention and disposal procedures.
11. YOUR DATA PROTECTION RIGHTS
Subject to applicable legal requirements and limitations, individuals may have rights in relation to their personal data, including the right to:
* Request access to personal information held by the Hospital;
* Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;
* Request deletion or erasure where legally applicable;
* Object to certain processing activities;
* Request appropriate action where their data protection rights have been infringed; and
* Seek appropriate redress in accordance with applicable law.
Requests may be subject to identity verification and applicable legal or statutory requirements.
The Hospital may retain information where there is a legal, clinical, regulatory or legitimate institutional requirement to do so.
12. DATA BREACHES
The Hospital maintains procedures for identifying, reporting, investigating and managing personal data breaches.
Any suspected or actual breach of personal data should be reported promptly to the appropriate Hospital authority or the Data Protection Supervisor.
Where required by law, the Hospital will take appropriate steps to notify affected individuals and relevant regulatory authorities.
13. RESEARCH AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
Personal data may be processed for approved research, clinical audit and quality improvement activities where there is an appropriate lawful basis and the required institutional, ethical and data protection safeguards are in place.
Where possible, personal data used for research will be minimized and appropriate measures will be taken to protect confidentiality and privacy.
14. THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES
Our website may contain links to external websites or online services operated by third parties.
The Hospital is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of external websites. Users are encouraged to review the privacy notices of third-party websites before providing personal information.
15. CONFIDENTIALITY
The Hospital is committed to maintaining the confidentiality, privacy and dignity of patients, staff and other individuals whose personal data it processes.
All personnel who handle personal data are required to comply with applicable confidentiality and data protection requirements.
16. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY NOTICE
The Hospital may update this Privacy Notice from time to time to reflect changes in our services, data processing practices, legal requirements or data protection arrangements.
The updated version will be made available on the Hospital’s website, together with the date of the latest update.
18. CONTACT US
If you have questions about this Privacy Notice or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact:
Data Protection Supervisor
St. Joseph Catholic Hospital, Koforidua
P.O. Box KF 40, Effiduase-Koforidua
Email: [stjosephhospitalk@gmail.com]
Telephone: [0200938681/0202434243]
You may also contact the Hospital through the official contact details provided on this website.
St. Joseph Catholic Hospital, Koforidua
Protecting your privacy, confidentiality and dignity.