FG to develop patients’ safety guide

The Federal Government says it will soon develop the National Patients Safety Guide as part of measures to protect patients from unnecessary harm.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Issac Adewale, disclosed weekend while delivering a lecture titled “Patients Safety in Nigeria” during the maiden public lecture of the College of Health Sciences, Igbinedion University Okada, Edo State.

He stated: “In a short while, the national patients’ safety guide would be developed. This would be followed by capacity building of health workers, use of safe and suitable infrastructure, ensuring maintenance culture and safe environment for patients and providers.

“In medical practice, error can occur at the planning, monitoring or execution phase of healthcare which is the failure to carry out a planned action as intended or application of an incorrect plan to achieve and through either doing the wrong thing (commission) or failing to do the right thing (omission).

“For example, an allergic reaction to a drug administered for the first time is an adverse event but would be considered unpreventable given the lack of pre-existing knowledge of the patient’s idiosyncratic allergy.”

“Although to err is human, patient safety is paramount in all health care settings and should not be compromised as it affects the quality of care. Clear policies, organizational leadership capacity, data to drive safety improvements, skilled healthcare professionals and collaborations are all needed to ensure sustainable and significant improvements in patient safety.”