Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. endanger (v.) [en-deyn-jeyr] – to bring to harm or danger
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. endanger (v.) [en-deyn-jeyr] – to bring to harm or danger
Example: Doctors who lack training may endanger the life of their patients.
2. shortage (n.)[ad-vurs, ad-vurs]– a
situation in which the amount needed is not enough
Example: The whole city lost electricity because
of a sudden power shortage.
3. adverse (adj.) [ad-vurs, ad-vurs] – harmful or
unfavorable
Example:
Pollution
has been proven to cause adverse
effects on a person’s health.
4. disability (n.) [dis-uh-bil-i-tee] – any
physical or mental damage that prevents someone to perform a task
Example: The woman helped the person with disability to cross the street.
5. protocol (n.) [proh-tuh-kawl, -kol, -kohl] – a
set of procedures for doing certain tasks
Example: Doctors should follow protocols to avoid harming patients.
Article
Read the text below.
Poor healthcare in hospitals endangers the lives of patients in
developing countries, according to a study published in the British Medical
Journal.
Researchers studied 26 hospitals in Egypt,
Jordan, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tunisia, Sudan and Yemen. They learned that more than one death per
day in each hospital is caused by preventable accidents and poor performance
of health professionals, and not the shortage
of medical equipment or supplies.
An average of 8.2% of patients
suffers from “adverse events,” or accidental results of poor treatment and
healthcare management. These unwanted results include permanent disability, or worse, death.
Although adverse events also affect
patients in developed countries, the chances of a patient dying from adverse
events are higher in the developing world—with one in every three patients
dying from such problems.
However, Dr. Itziar Larizgoitia, coordinator
of the World Health Organization (WHO) patient safety working group, emphasized
that health care professionals are not
completely at fault. He says the problem is mainly caused by poor
systems in the hospitals.
Some medical staff may not have
received proper training and supervision. Protocols for hospital processes, such as recording patient
information, are also lacking. There are even hospitals that do not have
water for hand washing.
As for the solution, Dr. Larizgoitia
added that it is necessary to develop safety practices to
suit patients’ specific background and culture, because practices that are best
for one culture may not always work well for other situations.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
·
Do
you agree that the medical professionals are not to be blamed in case of an
adverse event? Why or why not?
·
How
can the performance of medical professionals be improved?
Discussion B
·
In
your country, what are some of the problems being faced by medical
professionals?
·
What
do you think are the best solutions to these problems?
