Journalists receive training on medical malpractice

Twenty-five journalists from the Ashanti region received training in medical malpractice and patient safety for accurate and concise reporting to improve sustainable health care.

The workshop was led by a local non-governmental organization (NGO), Advocacy for Victims of Medical Malpractice (AMMV).

The aim is to generate interest among media professionals in the field of medical negligence in order to address the many issues that some patients face.

Although there are no statistics available on medical negligence in Ghana, around the world, around 225,000 people die each year from some form of medical malpractice, from incorrect dosages to surgical errors, to surgery. wrong diagnosis.

In the United States, medical errors are the third leading cause of death.

Only 2% of those suffering from medical malpractice file compensation claims.

But during the workshop held in Kumasi to orient media practitioners on the subject and the need for swift actions to set up several platforms for victims of medical malpractice to file complaints and subsequent investigations to obtain compensation for vulnerable people, Chief Executive Secretary of Advocacy for Medical Malpractice Victims (AMMV), Kwame Brobbey Appiah, revealed that:

“Our goal is negligence on the part of healthcare professionals such as physicians, nurses, pharmacists, biomedical scientists, radiologists and others in the performance of their duties, resulting in injury or death to patients who frequent their facilities. “

He further added that “we are undertaking public education and awareness raising on the need to report suspected medical malpractice incidents through the media and the various AMMV outlets”.

“We want to encourage victims to open up about their experiences and those of their loved ones in accessing health care and the incident of suspected medical malpractice leading to injury or death. “