Medical error is not unique to Kenya

Health CS Sicily Kariuki addressing a press conference in Nairobi on March 8, alongside Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board Chairperson Prof George Magoha (right) and other ministry officials on KNH incident of brain surgery on a wrong patient. [David Njaaga/Standard]

Most Kenyans believe that patient safety standards in the country are a drastic far cry from global benchmarks, citing the case at Kenyatta National Hospital as well as several others in various public and private hospitals across the country. While it is tempting to believe this, the reality is that medical error is a global problem.

Countries such as the U.S. are also grappling with the issue. In a recent study, John Hopkins University Hospital patient safety experts estimated that medical error was the third highest cause of death in the US.