World Patient Safety Day: ensuring quality care of patients.
World Patient Safety Day observed every year on 17 September. World Patient Safety Day aims to raise global awareness about patient safety and call for solidarity and united action by all countries and international partners to reduce patient harm. No one should be harmed in health care. Yet thousands of patients across the world suffer avoidable harm, or are put at risk of injury, while receiving health care every single day.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), More than 138 million patients are harmed every year by doctor’s errors. This day highlights global solidarity and concerted action by all countries and international partners to improve patient safety. Moreover, the Day brings together patients, families, caregivers, communities, health workers, health care leaders and policy-makers to show their commitment to patient safety.
Errors in diagnosis, errors in medicine prescriptions and treatments, and the inappropriate use of drugs are the main cause. Other problems that commonly occur during the course of providing health care are adverse drug events and improper transfusions, surgical injuries and wrong-site surgery, suicides, restraint-related injuries or death, falls, burns, pressure ulcers, and mistaken patient identities. The occurrence of adverse events due to unsafe care is likely one of the 10 leading causes of death and disability in the world
To ensure successful implementation of patient safety strategies; clear policies, leadership capacity, data to drive safety improvements, skilled health care professionals and effective involvement of patients in their care, are all needed. Patient safety is fundamental to delivering quality essential health services. Patient safety involves avoiding errors, limiting harm, and reducing the likeliness of mistakes through planning that fosters communication, lowers infection rates, and reduces errors.
WHO’s work on patient safety began with the launch of the World Alliance for Patient Safety in 2004 and this work has continued to evolve over time. WHO has facilitated improvements in the safety of health care within Member States through establishment of Global Patient Safety Challenges
