France: Staff Mistakes Hit 400 Patients A Day

Hoc autem scito, quod in novissimis diebus instabunt tempora periculosa. (2 Timothy 3:1)

The Connexion reports hospitals across France see 900 medical accidents a day; with about 400 of them being due to mistakes by staff.

The figures, revealed in a new report, show between 275.000 and 395.000 "undesirable serious events" a year, which study leader Philippe Michel said "was not brilliant".

The figures are unfortunately probably similar in other countries too, and it is excellent the problem is discussed here in France.

Since 2004 there has been improvement in the areas of anaesthetic reanimation and hospital acquired infections.

The study, which looked at a sample of 31 departments, 81 hospitals and clinics and 8.269 patients, found that over a seven-day period there are 374 "événements indésirables graves” (EIG) of which 177 are avoidable mistakes.

There are between 160.000 and 290.000 avoidable mistakes a year, which would not have happened if the medical care had been up to standard.

The experts said many mistakes arose out of human failings of medical professionals and lack of supervision, plus a lack of communication.

In addition, 20 percent of the accidents in hospitals were associated with medicines being given.

I have myself worked at two hospitals in Sweden, and I have seen my parents in the care of hospitals in Belgium where they died, so these statistics are not really news to me.

But I know how hard medical staffs work in general, and I am sure things will get better thanks to technological advancement.

I am also sure future generations will live one thousand years thanks to better technology.

"Videte itaque, fratres, quomodo caute ambuletis, non quasi insipientes sed ut sapientes", Ephesians 5:15.