KARACHI: A staggering 18-20 percent of hospitalized patients in Pakistan lose their lives due to medical errors, negligence, misadministration of drugs, and deadly hospital-acquired infections, experts have warned.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Patient Safety and Quality Healthcare Conference hosted by Aga Khan University (AKU) in April and organized by Riphah Institute of Healthcare, leading healthcare professionals called for urgent reforms to improve patient safety in hospitals across the country.
The press conference was addressed by Executive Director of Riphah International, Asadullah Khan, Executive Director of NICVD, Prof Dr Tahir Saghir, Chairman of Patient Safety, Dr Zakiuddin, and Sayed Jamshed Ahmed.
Dr. Zakiuddin highlighted that Pakistan’s 18-20% hospital mortality rate due to medical errors is alarmingly high compared to global standards. Citing research from the Johns Hopkins Institute, he stated that over 100,000 people die annually in the United States due to preventable medical errors.
“In the US, the leading cause of death is heart disease, followed by cancer, while preventable medical errors are the third most common cause of death. This is a serious issue that requires immediate action,” he emphasized.
He further announced that the 8th International Patient Safety Conference will be held at Aga Khan Hospital in April, with the primary objective of enhancing patient safety and improving healthcare quality.
Dr Zakiuddin pointed out that several errors occur during medical treatment, including wrong drug prescriptions, incorrect injections, surgical complications, and hospital-acquired infections.
“The World Health Organization (WHO) has been consistently raising awareness about patient safety, yet many developing countries, including Pakistan, continue to struggle with high rates of medical errors,” he said.
He stressed the need for specialized training for medical staff and the adoption of modern patient safety systems to curb preventable mistakes. “There must be a culture where doctors and nurses acknowledge their errors and work toward rectifying them rather than concealing mistakes,” he added.
Executive Director NICVD Prof. Dr. Tahir Saghir highlighted that hospital-acquired infections remain one of the leading causes of mortality and chronic illnesses in Pakistan.
“At NICVD, we receive many infected patients that other hospitals refuse to admit. While it is a major challenge, we cannot deny them treatment. We have set up dedicated isolation wards for such patients, which are regularly fumigated to minimize infection risks,” he explained.
He further noted that over 75 hospitals in Pakistan have conducted specialized training workshops for medical staff, leading to improved patient safety outcomes. “Western countries have significantly reduced medical errors through systematic interventions. While they have achieved up to 80% success, we are currently striving to control about 50% of the problem,” he stated.
Asadullah Khan, Executive Director Riphah International pointed out that medical errors not only endanger patients’ lives but also impose a heavy financial burden on families and healthcare institutions.
“Pakistan currently lacks a Patient Safety Registry, which is essential to systematically record and analyze medical errors,” he said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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