Editorial
World Patient Safety Day is an important initiative by the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise awareness and promote worldwide action on patient safety issues. Patient safety is defined as the prevention of errors and adverse effects to patients associated with health care. According to WHO, patient safety is a serious global public health concern, as it affects millions of patients every year and leads to significant human suffering, disability and death, as well as financial losses for health systems.
World Patient Safety Day allows patients and their families to voice their concerns, expectations and preferences for safe and quality health care. It also empowers them to be actively involved in their own care and in the improvement of the safety of healthcare systems. By engaging patients and their families in patient safety, health outcomes, satisfaction and trust can be enhanced, and the risk of harm can be reduced. World Patient Safety Day recognizes the vital role of health workers and healthcare leaders in ensuring patient safety and improving the quality of care. It also acknowledges the daily challenges and risks, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has increased the workload, stress and burnout among health workers. World Patient Safety Day calls for providing a safe and supportive work environment for health workers and investing in their education, training and skills development. It also encourages health workers and healthcare leaders to collaborate with patients and their families in co-designing safety strategies and implementing best practices.
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World Patient Safety Day urges policy-makers and stakeholders to take urgent action on patient safety at national and global levels, aligned with the Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021–20301. The Action Plan provides a comprehensive framework for addressing the key challenges and priorities in patient safety, such as strengthening governance and leadership, building a culture of safety, enhancing patient engagement, improving reporting and learning systems, reducing harm in high-risk areas, advancing research and innovation, and fostering global collaboration. World Patient Safety Day also advocates for allocating adequate resources and incentives for patient safety and monitoring and evaluating the progress and impact of patient safety interventions.
Lastly, World Patient Safety Day is a significant event that aims to improve patient safety and reduce patient harm across all settings and levels of health care. It involves multiple actors and actions that can contribute to safer health care for everyone. By celebrating World Patient Safety Day every year on 17 September, the world can show its commitment and solidarity to make health care safer. Accordingly, Pakistan needs to implement the spirit of the day in the healthcare systems in Pakistan.
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