World Patient Safety Day:
On September 17, the world observes World Patient Safety Day. It serves as a reminder of the continuing challenge of unsafe medical care across the globe.
- According to the WHO, one in 10 patients hospitalised globally suffers harm during treatment.
- In outpatient settings, the risk rises to four in 10 patients.
- In India, the shift in disease burden from communicable to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and mental health disorders require prolonged and repeated care, creating more points where safety lapses can occur
- In acute care burden, where requirement is of multi-specialty involvement, inadequate coordination often leads to preventable errors.
- In India, despite progress in infrastructure and medical technology, unsafe health care persists due to a combination of overburdened health providers and uninformed, passive patients.
