Indian docs unite to pinpoint treatment errors

20 April 2009

In a laudable initiative, a group of healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, hospital administrators, patients' groups and NGOs, met at Mumbai's KEM Hospital on Sunday to discuss the protection of patients from arbitrary treatment.

Under the aegis of the World Health Organisation's 'World alliance for patient safety', the meeting, coordinated by the Indian Confederation for Healthcare Accreditation, was aimed at spelling out healthcare standards, training of hospital employees, nursing homes and clinics in spotting medical errors and adverse reactions, and to report these in order to create an Indian database of common problems.

Medical errors like leaving a mop in the patient's body, operating upon a wrong eye, administering the wrong injection or expired drugs, or overdosing, are common complaints. Most of these go unreported; a miniscule may go to consumer redressal courts.

This meeting shows that even doctors are aware of the mistreatment. Such incidents, which go unreported, are proposed to be silently recorded and reported to an independent body. However, compliance remains voluntary.

"Till now, patient-doctor relations have hinged on a confrontationist we-versus-they approach. We are now trying to involve all stakeholders to improve the medical system from within," said gynaecologist Nikhil Datar.

He pointed out that the western model, which was based on compensation laws and had led to doctors practising defensive medicine, had failed and it was time Indian doctors made a collaborative effort with patients to boost healthcare services.