KARACHI: Every year medical errors claim lives of around 20 per cent of patients admitted to hospitals in the country, experts said on Tuesday.

Common types of medical errors include medical negligence, surgical errors, diagnostic errors, medication errors, equipment failures, hospital-acquired infections, and communication failures, etc.

The experts shared the shocking data at a press conference held at the Karachi Press Club.

Health experts, including Asadullah Khan, Executive Director of Riphah International, Prof Dr Tahir Saghir, Executive Director of National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Dr Zakiuddin, Chairman of Patient Safety, and Syed Jamshed Ahmed addressed the press conference.

Dr Zakiuddin highlighted the alarming statistics, saying that the hospital mortality rate in Pakistan due to medical errors stood at an astonishing 18-20%, which is far exceeding the global average.

He referenced to research from the Johns Hopkins Institute, which reports that over 100,000 people die annually in the United States due to preventable medical mistakes.

“In the US, preventable medical errors are the third leading cause of death, following heart disease and cancer,” Dr Zakiuddin added.

“This is a critical issue that demands immediate attention.”

He pointed to a variety of errors that contribute to preventable deaths, including incorrect drug prescriptions, surgical mistakes, and hospital-acquired infections.

Despite the World Health Organization’s efforts to raise awareness of patient safety, many developing nations, including Pakistan, continue to struggle with high rates of medical errors, he added.

The doctor stressed the need for specialised training for healthcare providers and the introduction of modern patient safety systems to prevent avoidable mistakes.

“We must foster a culture in which doctors and nurses are encouraged to acknowledge their errors and take steps to correct them rather than concealing them,” he added.

Prof Dr Tahir Saghir highlighted the prevalence of hospital-acquired infections, which remain one of the leading causes of mortality and chronic illness in Pakistan.

“At the NICVD, we often receive patients with infections that other hospitals are unwilling to treat. While this presents a significant challenge, we cannot turn them away. To mitigate infection risks, we have established dedicated isolation wards, which are regularly fumigated,” he said.

He also noted that over 75 hospitals across Pakistan have implemented specialised training programs for healthcare staff, leading to notable improvements in patient safety.

“While Western countries have managed to reduce medical errors by as much as 80 per cent through systematic interventions, we are working to address around 50 per cent of the issue,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2025