The key is to adopt a systems approach and lay emphasis on a culture of health worker well-being
Health facilities are a place of healing and restoration. But can they be places of harm as well? The world over, one in 10 patients experiences or is subject to harm in health-care settings. These range from operations done on the wrong patient, to injections being administered in an unsafe manner. Studies in India have shown that more than two-thirds of injections are given in an unsafe manner; equally worrying is the fact that over two-thirds of injections in primary care are unnecessary in the first place.
Global focus
To highlight this important issue, the World Health Organization observes World Patient Safety Day every year (September 17). The theme for 2020 was ‘Health Worker Safety: A Priority for Patient Safety’ with a call to action to ‘Speak up for health worker…