Doctors Perform Brain Surgery On Wrong Patient

Now How Does This Happen?

Sometimes you see stuff like this were the 'wrong appendage get amputated,' or something remarkable like that. I also have ranted quite a bit (not on Steemit yet) about nurses because, as a pharmacist, you have to deal with them fairly regularly. Let's just say it often doesn't go well.

Apparently it was due to a mix-up of identification tags. I am riddled with questions. Whose job is it to put these tags on? What did their training involve? What is the standard operating procedure for this process? Is there a fail safe built into the procedure that was not done, or is there no such system of checks and balances to avoid something like this from happening? Is it really all up to one person to do this? Do the doctors just take for granted that the tags were placed correctly?

In addition, the article states that there is an investigation currently underway because new mothers were being sexually assaulted at the same hospital. Now, what kind of sick f-ck does that?! What is up with this hospital?

The the neurosurgeon, ward nurse, theatre receiving nurse and anaesthetist were suspended. I can see that. Even though the person who screwed up the tags is most at fault, there still should be some sort of double or triple check just to make sure you have the correct patient before you begin drilling into their head.

Look, mistakes happen. I know that I have had my share. They are all horrible no matter how significant. Being a healthcare professional is hard, especially these days. Also, this happened in Kenya so God only knows what their SOP is like there. All I know is that whomever designs the SOP is also accountable, unless it was not followed or carried out properly. Fortunately, the author reports that the patient is okay.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-43255648