2,413 medical errors in a year

The number of recorded medical errors in the Kingdom amounted to 2,413 cases over a period of one year, with Riyadh and the Eastern Province accounting for 20 percent and 17.6 percent of the cases, respectively, according to official data. The number of court hearings on medical errors reached 2,838. Twenty-six percent of these were in the Riyadh Province, according to the report which was published in a local daily. Ali bin Mohammed Al-Quraishi, an international legal arbitrator and adviser, said that the forensic medical commissions are considered independent courts in terms of handling medical errors. There are currently 19 commissions distributed in seven regions and provinces, each headed by a judge who is nominated by the minister of justice. Al-Quraishi said that these commissions are intended to protect patients from medical errors and that there is a mandatory insurance process to protect against medical malpractice for all doctors and dentists working in public and private health institutions. Nagwa Mousa, a quality consultant, said that the concept of quality is designed to improve patient satisfaction and protect patients from medical errors. He noted that this is why regulations must be set up in order to stop medical malpractices through continuous inspections of medical facilities and health care centers. -Arab news