Pennsylvanians who need medical care are inclined to trust doctors, nurses and others involved in the treatment process. This is due to the belief that they are trained professionals with experience who know how to adhere to proper protocol, hygiene and safety.
Unfortunately, medical errors are among the most prominent causes of people becoming ill, injured and losing their lives. Among the most egregious types of errors are surgical mistakes. While it might sound unusual, they happen all too frequently. Recently, a Pennsylvania hospital was cited for repeated missteps. Those who think they or a loved one might have been harmed by medical malpractice must understand the available options.
Pennsylvania hospital has been dealing with a litany of mistakes recently
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Lancaster General Hospital made several serious mistakes. The latest was performing surgery on a patient’s leg when it was the other leg that needed the procedure. It also violated the rules for hand hygiene to keep patients from suffering from infections.
This happened shortly after the same hospital had been penalized for not filling a diabetic patient’s insulin pump and not filing the necessary reports about a woman who had recently given birth and died after suffering from internal bleeding.
The mistakes were found while the hospital was receiving special monitoring. Special monitoring is done for facilities that the agency believes are having problems following the rules and are making errors.
The surgical mistake centered on a person whose left ankle needed ligament repairs. There is supposed to be a mark placed on the correct area, but it was not put in the proper place. Another hospital employee contributed to the error.
After the wrong ankle was operated on, the staff saw they had made a mistake. Other steps were missed prior to the procedure. This came on the heels of a surveyor seeing staffers not washing their hands as they should have and violating other requirements.
Those who suspect medical malpractice should talk to qualified legal professionals
Although the hospital was fined, that does not mean the medical mistakes will automatically stop. It is a sad reality that people are at the mercy of medical professionals who might not be doing everything they are required to do to ensure there is a safe and sterile environment with all the necessary precautions taken.
Whether is a surgical error, an unexplained illness, people becoming injured, a sudden death or another issue, one factor that should be considered is if the facility itself did something wrong. For a full investigation, analysis of the evidence and a potential legal claim, it is imperative to have qualified guidance from professionals who understand these types of cases.