Are Our Women and Children Safe in Our Hospitals?

By P.S.Remesh Chandran

When medical technology advanced, it was expected that the death of people from medical diagnosis and treatment errors will decrease. It did not. The twenty five years from 1990 to 2015 witnessed tremendous growth in medical advancement but during this period the number of deaths from medical diagnosis and treatment errors also increased by roughly forty five percent. Then what is medical advancement and where is it to be found?

Deaths from adverse effects of medical treatment are increasing in the world, not decreasing. Now it is between 2,25,000 and 1,50,000 people dying every year this way. Three-fourths of these are from harmful drugs’ administration and one-eleventh of all from unnecessary surgeries conducted. Medication errors cause fewer deaths in hospitals compared to those from harmful drugs and unnecessary surgeries. An unbelievably great number among these dying are pregnant women and also unborn children who die with them.

The hospital staff responsible for maternal deaths are primarily doctors and nurses, and secondarily paramedical staff like technicians, and lastly but over everyone else in responsibility the administrators of hospitals and other treatment facilities. Doctors are a good lot generally, interested only in saving lives. A few among them are but corrupt, greedy and incompetent for various reasons. The nurses are a totally devoted and caring lot except a few rotten apples among them, and such bad nurses are usually only a five among a hundred. The technicians are mostly learned and always overworked- only a very few among them are prone to making mistakes from ignorance, perhaps more from negligence. That is the picture at least in Kerala- the state with the highest literacy level in India. Kerala’s doctors, nurses and medical technicians are sought after and much admired in many countries.

A word about them: The doctors, nurses and medical technicians of Kerala are the best in the world. The parts concerning them in this book are not intended to disparage them in anyway

• Language: English
• Publisher: P.S.Remesh Chandran
• Release date: May 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005948764

P.S.Remesh Chandran

Editor of Sahyadri Books & Bloom Books, Trivandrum. Author of several books in English and in Malayalam. And also author of Swan: The Intelligent Picture Book. Born and brought up in the beautiful hamlet of Nanniyode in the Sahya Mountain Valley in Kerala. Father British Council-trained English teacher and mother University-educated. Matriculation with distinction and University Studies in Science with National Merit Scholarship. Discontinued Diploma Studies in Electronics and entered politics. Unmarried and single.Author of several books in English and in Malayalam including poetical collections and fictions, a few of which are, Ulsava Lahari, Kaalam Jaalakavaathilil, Darsana Deepthi, Puzhayozhukee Eevazhi, Vaidooryam, Manal, Jalaja Padma Raaji, Goodlaayi Graamum, Time Upon My Window Sill and Swan, the Intelligent Picture Book.Devised and implemented PROPÈS-INDIA, Project for the Popularization of English Songs in India.

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Publication Details:

Written: April 2011

First published: 23 April 2011

E-book published: 21 April 2020

Form of Release:

E-Book/Paperback

Date of Release:

21 April 2020

Publishers:

Sahyadri Books & Bloom Books,

Trivandrum- 695562.

Text Copyright©: P. S. Remesh Chandran (Author),

Padmalayalam, Nanniyode, Pacha Post,

Trivandrum- 695562,

Kerala State, South India.

Cover:

Image By: Sharon McCutcheon. Graphics: Adobe SP.

Courtesy: Unsplash.

Books by the author:

Are Our Women Safe In Our Hospitals?

Delights Of Poetry

Did A Data Mining Giant Take Over India?

Doctors Politicians Bureaucrats People And Private Practice

E-Health Implications And Medical Data Theft

Essays Reintroduced

Is Reformation Over For Hinduism?

Is There Patience And Room For One More Reactor?

Kahlil Gibran’s Tears And Laughter Recast In The True Poetic Form

Literary Essays

Political Comments On India in 5 Parts

Political Comments On Kerala in 2 Parts

Story Quill

Student Essays Poetry in 3 Volumes

Swan: The Intelligent Picture Book

The Last Bird From The Golden Age Of Ghazals

WHO IMF IBRD And ADB Money To India Health Finances Human Rights Violations And Corruption

Will Dog Lovers Kill The World?

In Malayalam:

ഉത്സവലഹരി

ദ൪ശനദീപു്തി

ഒരുതുള്ളി വെളിച്ചം

കാലം ജാലകവാതിലിലു്

രകാരമാന്ത്രികം

തിരികെ വിളിക്കുക!

തിരികെപ്പോകുന്നൂ ഞാ൯ തിരമാലകളിലു്

വൈഡൂര്യം

മണലു്

ഇലകൊഴിയും കാടുകളിലു് പുഴയൊഴുകുന്ന

ജലജപത്മരാജി

പ്രഭാതമുണരുംമുമ്പേ

ആസു്പത്രിജാലകം

മാവോയെപ്പോലെയാകാ൯ എന്തെളുപ്പം!

ശബരിമലയിലെ മതഭ്രാന്ത൯മാരെ ചങ്ങലയു്ക്കിടണു്ടേ?

രാഷു്ട്രീയ ലേഖനങ്ങളു് (ഇരുപത്തിരണു്ടു് ഭാഗങ്ങളു്)

Table of Contents:

Publication Details

Books by the author

Table of Contents

ARE OUR WOMEN AND CHILDREN SAFE IN OUR HOSPITALS?

INTRODUCTION

1. ARE OUR WOMEN AND CHILDREN SAFE IN OUR HOSPITALS?

2. WHY THIS MANY WOMEN DIE DURING PREGNANCY AND CHILD BIRTH?

3. THE MATERNAL MORBIDITY SITUATION IN INDIA

4. WHY DON’T THEY INTRODUCE PERMANENT CONFIDENTIAL AUDITING AND ENQUIERY COMMITTEES ON MATERNAL DEATHS?

About the Author P. S. Remesh Chandran

ARE OUR WOMEN AND CHILDREN SAFE IN OUR HOSPITALS?

P. S. REMESH CHANDRAN

SAHYADRI BOOKS TRIVANDRUM

INTRODUCTION

1

Deaths from adverse effects of medical treatment are increasing in the world, not decreasing. Now it is between 2,25,000 and 1,50,000 people dying every year this way. Three-fourths of these are from harmful drugs’ administration and one-eleventh of all from unnecessary surgeries conducted. Medication errors cause fewer deaths in hospitals compared to those from harmful drugs and unnecessary surgeries. An unbelievably great number among these dying are pregnant women and also unborn children who die with them.

When medical technology advanced, it was expected that the death of people from medical diagnosis and treatment errors will decrease. It did not. The twenty five years from 1990 to 2015 witnessed tremendous growth in medical advancement but during this period the number of deaths from medical diagnosis and treatment errors also increased by roughly forty five percent! Then what is medical advancement and where is it?

The hospital staff responsible for maternal deaths are primarily doctors and nurses, and secondarily paramedical staff like technicians, and lastly but over everyone else in responsibility the administrators of hospitals and other treatment facilities. Doctors are a good lot generally, interested only in saving lives. A few among them are but corrupt, greedy and incompetent for various reasons. The nurses are a totally devoted and caring lot except a few rotten apples among them, and such bad nurses are usually only a five among a hundred. The technicians are mostly learned and always overworked; only a very few among them are prone to making mistakes from ignorance, perhaps more from negligence. That is the picture at least in Kerala- the state with the highest literacy in India. Kerala’s doctors, nurses and medical technicians are sought after and much admired in many countries.

A word about them: The doctors, nurses and medical technicians of Kerala are the best in the world. The parts concerning them in this book are not intended to disparage them in anyway. This author himself has witnessed their selfless services and personal sacrifices on not a few occasions while working with them. Their love, kindness, caring and dedication have been acclaimed by people in all countries where they served and lived. Dispensers of virtues, they soothe, solace and heal people across the globe. Their virtues will be sung by the people there. Pardon me; but here it is the vices in the health sector of their native land that is sung here. Someday, you will understand why.

Along with treatment failures and errors and patient deaths, poverty caused by medical expenses often called as Iatrogenic Poverty is also increasing worldwide. It is roughly estimated that 1,00,000 families are reduced to poverty every year in the world due to heavy medical expenses. Debt, bankruptcy, attachment of incomes, confiscation of properties, eviction, impoverishment, and death- it is in that order that people perish of iatrogenic poverty. Health insurance coverage in developed countries is a joke. Health insurance in other countries is for namesake. The only desirable option is the