Apollo Hospitals Group is organizing the 8th edition of the International Patient Safety Conference (IPSC), a not-for-profit initiative, on 13-14th September 2019 in Hyderabad. IPSC, the largest patient safety-focused conference in Asia, will address critical issues in patient safety with global experts on the subject discussing the role of proactive practices and streamlined systems in improving patient safety. With sessions around this year’s theme of ‘Imagine, Innovate, Inspire’, the IPSC will provide healthcare professionals an opportunity to learn from patient safety and quality experts from across the world.

The conference is being organized in partnership with leading organizations including Joint Commission International (JCI), World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), NABH, PWC, AsQuA, IsQua, IMA, FSSAI, ISA, CAHO,HIMA to name a few. The discussions at the conference will range from debates on technology versus touch; the healthcare manpower of the future; overall patient safety aspects including infection control, medication management, radiation safety to facility safety and accreditations.

Precursor to the conference there will be eight pre-Conference workshops on 12th September 2019 being held along with JCI, NABH, CAHO and Apollo Hospitals that will be jointly and on Food Safety and Basic Life Support on the conference days.

Sangita Reddy, Jt. Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “Patient safety is a vital aspect of healthcare delivery and should be the top priority as India advances towards universal health coverage through Ayushman Bharat. We must keep a check on our health systems as well as work towards a skilled talent pool to address the healthcare workforce crisis, which has an impact on patient safety. The International Patient Safety Conference serves as a platform where all stakeholders can share experiences, exchange ideas, and discuss best practices for improving patient safety. We look forward to an outcome where the suggestions generated are integrated into a national policy to improve patient safety across the healthcare system.”

Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes the importance of patient safety through statistics that indicate a 1 in a million chance of a person being harmed while travelling by plane, as against a 1 in 300 chance of a patient being harmed during healthcare treatment. Industries with a perceived higher risk such as the aviation and nuclear industries have a much better safety record than healthcare.

Patient harm is the 14th leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, comparable to diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria. It is estimated that there are 421 million hospitalizations in the world annually, and approximately 42.7 million adverse events occur with safety issues in as many as 1 in 10 patients during hospitalization. Over two-thirds of all adverse events occur in low and middle-income countries.

A study on the frequency and preventability of adverse events across 26 low and middle-income countries showed the rate of adverse events to be around 8%, of which 83% could have been prevented and 30% led to death. 15% of health spending is wasted dealing with all aspects of adverse events including venous thromboembolism, pressure ulcers, and infections.

In 2018, the 7th International Patient Safety Conference had brought together over 170 speakers and 1500 delegates from 20 countries across the globe. This year the 8th edition is expected to see an increased participation with industry stalwarts like Dr. Indu Bhushan, CEO, Ayushman Bharat; Prof. William B. Eimicke,  Professor of Practice in International & Public Affairs and the founding director of the Picker Center for Executive Education of Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs; H.E Dr. Te Kuyseang, Ministry of Health, Cambodia; Hon. Dr. Joseph Nsambi, Ministry Of Health, Lubumbashi, DRC; Hon. Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, Sri Lanka; Dr. Zakaria Al Alttal, Ministry of Health, UAE; Ms. Paula Wilson, President and CEO, Joint Commission International; Dr. Mark Britnell, Global Chairman & Senior Partner, KPMG, UK as some of the esteemed speakers.