3,000 medical mistakes and mishaps

Nando media and associated press report that Federal investigators have documented almost 3,000 medical mistakes and mishaps in less than two years at veterans hospitals around the United States. More than 700 patients have died in those reported cases.

This report is the result of a new policy that requires employees to report medical errors and “adverse events.”

Medical error ranged from problems including medication, the failure of medical devices, the abuse of patients, and surgery on the wrong body part or the wrong patient.

The comprehensive report is believed to be the first of its kind by any health care system in the nation and shows what could be expected if all hospitals had to report their errors. Hospitals are not required to report medical error.

This is one more incident brought to light after last months report that medical errors are killing 44,000 to 98,000 people a year in hospitals alone. It is said that more people die from medical mistakes each year than from highway accidents, breast cancer or AIDS. For many, that is the entire population of the city you live in, dying each year.

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Medical errors in Veterans hospitals documented