Overview of the Health Problem
Every year, more than 100,000 lives are lost as a result of various medical errors conducted by medical professionals and practitioners in various licensed health facilities in California. This is according to the 1999 study conducted by the Institute of Medicine. In the year 2009, 1,500 errors were reported by medical providers where 1,015 of the cases concerned serious bedsores on patients. Out of 1,500 case of adverse events reported to the state that year, 30 of them resulted into death of patients and serious disability on patients. 12 of the cases reported were linked to suicides and suicide attempts by the patients in various health care facilities. According to California Watch, six of the patient died as a result of serious burns or electric shock while in health care facilities. More surprising is that thirty of the cases were as a result of sexual assault on patients by medical care staffs (Jewett, 2010).
This is just an example from one year; many more such cases are reported every year in the Department of Public Health. However, the department of Public Health continues to fine hospitals for not reporting incidents of adverse events but no lasting solution to this problem have been sought. According to earlier reports by California Watch (before July 2010), “the department had fined medical facilities more than million for failing to report or delaying reports of more than 260 errors” (Jewett, 2010).
