Over worked South Africa doctors botch operations
A South African
newspaper has revealed that overworked doctors in the country are prone
to botched surgical operations and in some instances have left gloves
and scissors in patients’ bodies after operations.
The Sunday
Independent’s investigations showed such acts of negligence have cost
the state over 1 billion rand in law suits in the last two years,
prompting Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi to seek investigations
into what lay behind them.
The paper said a
critical shortage of doctors in South Africa, has resulted in a doctor
patient ratio of 1-4,000, forcing doctors to work long hours.
South Africa
Medical Association chairman Norman Mabasa told the paper that even if
all doctors in the private sector were placed in public health
institutions, South Africa would still fall short of World Health
Organisation (WHO) guidelines.
“As a result doctors are overworked. Any exhausted doctor will make
mistakes. It is human nature to make mistakes when you have not had a
break,” Mabasa said.
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