Today marks World Patient Safety Day, a time when families, caregivers, communities, health professionals, policymakers, and patients unite to demonstrate their dedication to ensuring patient safety.
Patient safety is a fundamental principle of healthcare and is being more widely recognised as an essential and escalating international public issue. By emphasising safety, healthcare organisations fulfil vital standards and foster an environment of trust and responsibility.
Established by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2019 to be observed each year on September 17, the theme for the day varies annually, with the central aim focusing on patient safety as a global health priority, in accordance with the essential medical tenet of "first, do no harm."
This year's theme is “Safe care for every newborns and every child,” featuring the slogan “Patient safety from the start!” highlighting the susceptibility of this age group to dangers and injuries stemming from unsafe care.
It is common knowledge that one safety incident can lead to lifelong effects on a child's health and growth. This is why the day this year is focusing on guaranteeing safe care for all newborns and children, particularly emphasising those from birth to nine years old.
“By focusing on secure care for children, we are protecting the future and guaranteeing that each child gets the optimal start to life,” asserts WHO, the UN’s specialised agency.
Safety represents one facet of quality, which encompasses not just the prevention of avoidable harm but also ensuring access to suitable care—delivering effective services to those in need and refraining from offering ineffective or detrimental services.
According to WHO, all children are entitled to receive safe and quality health care from the start. However, “infants and young kids are at increased risk because of their swift growth, changing health requirements, and distinct disease trends.”
It is a commonly recognised truth that no individual should suffer harm within health care. Nonetheless, there is strong proof of a significant load of preventable patient harm worldwide in both advanced and emerging health care systems. This carries significant human, moral, ethical, and financial consequences.
The reported incidence of patient safety issues concerning newborns and children receiving medical care differs, yet research indicates that adverse occurrences happen in all healthcare environments, with increased risks in critically ill children, especially those in intensive care or needing intricate medical procedures.
Despite a 61 per cent reduction in the global under-five mortality rate, which fell from 94 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 37 in 2023, enhancing child survival continues to be a critical issue. Unicef reports that in 2023, approximately 13,100 deaths of children under five happened daily, an unacceptably high figure of mostly avoidable child fatalities.
Every newborns, regardless of location, is entitled to high-quality universal health care. Infants are entitled to breathe comfortably, stay warm, receive proper nourishment and be protected from diseases and harm.
The WHO reports that 1 in 30 patients in healthcare experiences harm related to medication, with over 25 per cent of this harm considered severe or life-threatening. Fifty per cent of preventable damage in healthcare is linked to medications.
So, caregivers, health professionals, educators and communities must come together to prevent preventable harm in paediatric care and to create a safer, healthier future for all children. “From medical facilities to residences, each child is entitled to a secure beginning in life.”
Finally, patient safety involves more than just preventing mistakes; it requires fostering a setting where optimal care is provided consistently. Through investing in education, working together with peers, and spearheading safety initiatives, healthcare professionals can help create a system that guarantees all patients receive the utmost quality of care.
Samuel Kutty
The writer is a freelance journalist and author who worked in Oman and India
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