Unsafe health care blamed for millions of deaths
Monday September 16th, 2019
Millions are dying globally each year because of unsafe health care, according to new figures.
The estimates were released in advance of the first World Patient Safety Day tomorrow (17 September).
The World Health Organisation says there are 2.6 million deaths in low and middle income countries – and that most avoidable.
WHO called for urgent action, calling all patient harm "unacceptable."
About 40% of incidents take place during primary and ambulatory care when errors in diagnosis, prescription and advice on medicines occur, it says.
It blames unsafe surgical care for 25% of incidents, linking a million deaths annually to surgery.
As part of events around the world, a number of major cities have agreed to light up monuments in orange, including the Pyramids of Egypt.
Director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “No one should be harmed while receiving health care. And yet globally, at least five patients die every minute because of unsafe care.
“We need a patient safety culture that promotes partnership with patients, encourages reporting and learning from errors, and creates a blame-free environment where health workers are empowered and trained to reduce errors."
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/patient-safety
Tags: General Health | World Health
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