Careless practices takes a heavy toll on American lives, says President of SAVE THE PATIENT

Sep 11 2009

The following is a statement by Lenore Janecek, President, SAVE THE PATIENT:

Is anyone listening? As this debate rages on about medical reform, patient safety organizations, those of us at the front each and every day, we do not hear about what is happening to the people from the senseless health care devastation throughout our country right now.

Two million people in the U.S. died needlessly in the past ten years from preventable medical error and 200,000 more of us will die this year unnecessarily because half of the medical community won't be washing their hands, or their equipment, or taking out catheters, or operating on the correct body part, or handing out the right medications, or infecting the patients with germs they have brought from hospital clothes worn out in the streets. How much money is spent because of these careless practices, as well as because of overuse, misuse, and abuse by our health care system?

Let's have a true debate. What is the value of a human life? Is it worth a hand washing? Will it be possible to alleviate medical malpractice suits when the medical community adopts safety measures that have proven to lessen infections 70-100%? Will our government and the medical communities have a mandated discipline policy and transparency, rather than lie and deny? Why can't we find out more about the costs of care, the error rates and deaths reported? Why hasn't the Illinois law, co-sponsored by then State Senator Obama, for reporting infection and adverse events not been implemented as passed nearly six years ago? Why, after years of trying, is there no national law mandating patient safety in the USA?

If it were not for the heroes/heroines in the patient safety movement, those who have lost children, spouses, moms and dads in this senseless medical holocaust and the many brave doctors, nurses, health educators and workers, pioneering hospitals, journalists and media, this horror would continue to be our deep, dark, secret.

We, the people, demand an Office of Consumer Safety be established immediately to protect and advocate on behalf of the American people for quality and safety in health care, foods, and toys. The only special interests on its oversight board should be everyday people. It should be established like the Federal Reserve, with authority to order immediate action by all agencies of government. This new agency would ensure that Americans are not harmed as a result of preventive medical error; mandated reports of infection, adverse error, and transparency by all health providers are made public. Financial oversight on illegal billing practices, fraud and abuse, and criminal activities reported to authorities for prosecution.

The health and welfare of the American people rest with the changes made by legislators and the President to the medical system in our country. We ask that they first, Do No Harm and establish the Office of Consumer Safety effective immediately in health reform law.