8 March

A seminar on safe surgery was held at the Ministry of Health and Sports in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.

Speaking at the meeting, Union Minister for Health and Sports Dr Myint Htwe said treatment has two sectors which are medical sector and surgery sector. The surgery sector involves the special cases including bone, neurological, cardio, gynecology and obstetrics surgical operations and anaesthetic, apart from surgical science. Unnecessary deaths or undesired consequences occur when pre-surgery measures and post-surgery measures are not taken properly. So, there must be the checklist for the proper conducting of the measures, and the meeting will focus on them. The area of patient safety begins from the time the patient undergoes medical check, and continues through the stages from diagnosing, medication, ex-raying to surgical operations (if necessary) and recovery.

As regards the matter, the Central Committee to Ensure Patient Safety was formed in November 2019. It is required to form sector-wise subcommittees that will practically adopt and implement policies, programs and guidelines. The ministry has been holding workshops on patient safety, providing township and station health officers with trainings, reinforcing the work of preventing and controlling the diseases spread through hospitals, enhancing their abilities of medical staff and conducting awareness campaigns, he said.

Rector of University of Medicine-1 Dr Zaw Wai Soe and other physicians at different levels also took part in the discussions. —MNA (Translated by TMT)