The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Surgical risks

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Monday, Jan 19, 2009
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Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Surgical risks

The editorial “Reducing risks of surgery” (Jan. 17) should act as an eye-opener to all. Clinical governance is an expanding area in western countries. It includes risk reduction not only in surgical procedures but also in other aspects of patient care. It ensures continued professional development, clinical audit and a system that adequately and accurately informs error incidence. It is expected to promote a culture in which health professionals disclose their errors without being blamed. Healthcare service managements in India should not delay the implementation of clinical governance.

Dr. Alby Elias,

Maryland, NSW

Every patient has a right to demand that surgeons follow the surgical checklist launched by the World Health Organisation. As one who pays for the surgery, he or she has a right to know whether the procedures are being followed. Some hospitals conduct surgeries for their own benefit, rather than the patient’s. A code of conduct should be evolved for surgeons to enhance patient care and save lives.

Luxy lona-seleena,

Ernakulam

In spite of the use of modern medical equipment, surgical operations result in complications leading to lifelong debility in some cases. Patients are afraid to undergo even a simple surgery. The launching of the surgical checklist is a means for safe surgery. Although renowned hospitals in cities might have adopted the checklist norms, operations in rural and small hospitals are still done casually, endangering the lives of patients. Following the checklist should be made compulsory in all hospitals.

S. Janakiraman,

Coimbatore

The WHO’s idea of a checklist for surgeons is commendable. But I have a few points to make from the professional angle. First, a surgeon who produces good results is rarely spoken of. But a surgeon who piles up the numbers and gets media publicity is considered eminent. Secondly, hospitals conveniently shift patients with major complications to government hospitals when it is too late to rectify the errors. And the surgeon is blamed if, in the process of trying to help, he loses a few patients. Thirdly, hospitals should ensure that medical officers in the casualty are specialists in resuscitation. Fourthly, measures should be taken to curb tall claims of specialisation by hospitals/surgeons and regulate the proliferation of surgeons who start performing surgery after taking a foreign fellowship or undergoing weekend trainings unrecognised by the Medical Council of India. Fifthly, surgeons should be made accountable. Industry-sponsored weekend training, the aim of which is to popularise surgical gadgets, should stop. A database of national registries for surgical procedures should be evolved.

Dr M.S. Senthil Kumar Sanran,

Chennai

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