To err is human – in simple words, this means that it is normal for people to make mistakes. Mistakes are also made in the medical field. This alone does not mean that the people in the healthcare systemare bad or that the system is bad. It just means that people working in the system need to learn more about patient safety and incorporate that knowledge into their routines.

It is imperative for healthcare professionals to learn and understand patient safety in order to reduce medical errors and improve the design of the healthcare system.

Why is this necessary? Experts say that thousands of people die in any given year from medical errors in hospitals. This is more than people dying from car accidents or cancer. Indeed, more people die annually from medication errors than from workplace injuries. Adding to the financial cost and human tragedy, medical errors easily rise to the top ranks of urgent, widespread public problems.

Over the years, patient safety has become an essential subject in medical curricula in Pakistan.

Back in 2020, when coronavirus pandemic became a reality in Pakistan, the World Health Organisation (WHO) pushedfor recognition of the importance of patient safety and its integration into medical education. Today, more than 80 hospitals in the country are a part of the WHO’s Patient Safety Friendly Hospital Initiative – which puts into practice a harmonised set of evidence-based patient safety standards to which hospitals should adhere to ensure safer care. It offers a platform for integrating patient safety priorities where infection prevention and control, including hand hygiene and standard precautions, are critical components.

Besides doctors, nurses and technicians are critical to ensuring quality care. They engage and empower patients to speak up on their own behalf, and further enforce hand hygiene measures with colleagues from all levels of the hospital hierarchy. Their role in patient safety cannot be ignored.

Many hospitals across the country are now conducting regular instruction both for patients and health workers on hand hygiene.

At the Aga Khan University Hospital, there is a Centre for Patient Safety that focuses on investigating conditions affecting patient care and promotessystemic patient safety, identifies medical errors and develops and implements preventive strategies.

Pullout: Today, more than 80 hospitals in the country are a part of WHO’s Patient Safety Friendly Hospital Initiative – which puts into practice a harmonised set of evidence-based patient safety standards to which hospitals should adhere to ensure safer care. It offers a platform for integrating patient safety priorities where infection prevention and control, including hand hygiene and standard precautions, are critical components.

According to the AKUH website, their goal is to help eliminate preventable harm and improve clinical outcomes for patients at the hospital, and ultimately healthcare systems across low and middle-income countries.

In Pakistan, Riphah International University and the Martin Dow Group have been organisingan International Conference on Patient Safety on annual basis since 2016. The aim of the conference is to provide safe and quality health services to all patients in Pakistan.

According to the university’s spokesperson, the idea behind the conference was to initiate and support the journey of patient safety in Pakistan.Top leaders in patient safety from across the world, local stakeholders and medical health professionals are invited to participate in the conference every year to share their knowledge, expertise and experiences.

This year, the conference was hosted at Liaquat National Hospital (LNH) in Karachi. The topics covered at the conference included infection prevention and control, patient safety in dentistry, how to conduct implementation research, the future of healthcare, leadership in healthcare and the role of virtual reality in surgical training.

Dr Faisal Sultan,the then special assistant to prime minister on health, said that the annual conference was a great step to initiate conversations to encourage and improve patient safety in Pakistan. He added that patient safety was a serious public health issue that demanded immediate attention.

Speaking at the conference, Martin Dow Group chairman Ali Akhai said: “Martin Dow Group is devoted to fulfilling the highest standards of patients’ well-being and everything that follows it. Since the inception of our partnership with Riphah International University, we aim to elevate the springboard for the development of patient-centered strategies”.

Patient safety

Here are some steps to follow to ensure that the patients have a safe experience.

- It is essential that you are on time for your appointments.

- Ensure that you and your staff are up to date with current standards and practices. It is important for your patient to feel comfortable/confident about their visit to your clinic.

- Make sure that you are aware of all procedures and policies. You should know the rules and procedures of the clinic or hospital and strictly abide by them. Your partners/other doctors you work with should know what to do in case of an emergency. This will ensure that you do not end up making errors in treatment that could be dangerous or lead to serious injury.

- You should treat your patients with respect. Get to know your patientsbefore you begin to treat them. This will ensure that they feel more comfortable with your practice and will be able to tell you anything that might lead to problems down the road.