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Introduction

On World Patient Safety Day, the WHO warned that 10% of hospitalised patients and 40% in outpatient care face harm during treatment. In India, the growing burden of chronic diseases heightens these risks. Overstretched healthcare providers and uninformed patients together create systemic gaps, undermining safe and effective healthcare delivery.

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Systemic factors that contribute to unsafe healthcare

• Overburdened healthcare providers: Doctors and nurses face heavy patient loads, staff attrition, and long shifts, which reduces their ability to engage fully with patients and increases risks of errors.
• Hospital-acquired infections and unsafe practices: Lack of hygiene protocols, reusing injections or unsafe transfusion practices often lead to hospital-acquired infections and blood clots.
• Poor coordination in acute care: When multiple specialists are involved in complex treatments, lack of communication and coordination causes medical harm.
• Passive and uninformed patients: Many patients in India hesitate to ask questions and remain uninformed about treatment and safety protocols, increasing vulnerability and widening the gap in safety.
• Weak regulatory and accreditation systems: Despite NABH’s role in setting benchmarks, <5% of Indian hospitals are fully accredited, leaving many facilities without strong safety mechanisms.

Measures to strengthen patient safety across the country

• Strengthening national frameworks: Implementing the National Patient Safety Implementation Framework (2018-25) with stronger reporting, monitoring, and accountability.
  Eg: The framework lays out a roadmap, from adverse event reporting to embedding safety into clinical programmes.
• Hospital-level safety standards and audits: Hospitals must adopt quality audits, infection control measures, and staff training for consistent patient safety.
  Eg: NABH has raised benchmarks by auditing and embedding practices for infection control, patient rights, and medication management.
• Patient empowerment and participation: Patients should be active partners in care by maintaining records, reporting drug reactions, and asking questions.
  Eg: The Patients for Patient Safety Foundation reaches 14 lakh households weekly to promote safe practices.
• Role of civil society and technology: NGOs and innovators can create awareness and build solutions, such as apps flagging harmful drug interactions.
  Eg: The Patient Safety & Access Initiative of India Foundation works on strengthening regulatory clarity of medical devices.
• Education and culture of safety: Incorporating patient safety in medical and nursing education while promoting a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

Conclusion

Achieving patient safety requires coordinated efforts from governments, healthcare institutions, patients, and civil society. India must fully implement the National Patient Safety Implementation Framework (2018-25), enhance accountability, empower patients, and foster a safety-oriented culture to ensure consistent, reliable, and harm-free healthcare across the country.

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