RIYADH, 19 September 2006 -- The International Summit for Patient Safety and Medical Errors (ISPSME) concluded here yesterday with a call for a National Center for Patient Safety as well as a national reporting system and adverse event notification.
The recommendations of the three-day summit, sponsored by the Security Forces Hospital, will be forwarded to Interior Minister Prince Naif for consideration.
While explaining the objectives of the proposed center, Dr. Yasser Al-Obaida, chairman of the Scientific Committee of the summit, told Arab News that it could initiate national standards and practice for patient safety in the Kingdom.
He said that such a center would develop a national action plan for prevention of prescription errors, medical malpractice and hospital-acquired infections.
Besides doing research, the center would work with the World Health Organization and the World Alliance for Patient Safety and would also collaborate with regional and international centers to benefit from their experience in the relevant fields.
Obaida said the national reporting system would enable aggrieved parties to report to the authorities for suitable action. This system would entail accountability of the health facilities, confidentiality and security for patients, he added.
"Medical errors are adverse events that are preventable with the present mode of medical knowledge," he said, pointing out an instance where a 20-year-old patient ended up with an unnecessary surgery due to misdiagnosis. He cited another example of a 25-year-old young mother who lost her baby and future chances of pregnancy due to a medical mistake.
Following the summit, a public forum on medical errors was held to solicit people's complaints on medical misadventures. Deputy Health Minister Dr. Yacoub Al-Mazroa moderated the event.
"We brought health care providers and members of the public to a common platform so that they could share their experiences with each other in order to avoid future medical blunders," the forum's orgaznier, Waleed Al-Deaigy, told Arab News.
By Mohammed Rasooldeen
© Arab News 2006
