KAOHSIUNG (TVBS News) — The Kaohsiung Department of Health on Thursday (April 11) fined the Kaohsiung Municipal Min-Sheng Hospital NT$ 500,000 following a surgical error.
The lead surgeon was severely reprimanded and disciplined, and the hospital's director, Yan Jia-qi, was relieved of his managerial duties.
According to a press release from the Kaohsiung Department of Health, the hospital was penalized under the Medical Care Act Article 108, Section 1, which allows for a maximum fine of NT$500,000.
The hospital was also instructed to follow the Medical Accident Prevention and Dispute Resolution Act to analyze the cause of the incident, propose improvements, and report to the competent authority.
The surgical error occurred on April 4 when a worker mistakenly wheeled the wrong patient, an elderly individual surnamed Huang, into surgery for a thoracic drainage procedure. The mistake was only discovered after the operation was completed.
Anesthesiologists, operating room nurses, ward nurses, and the worker who transported the patient were all reprimanded for failing to properly identify the patient. The hospital also issued warnings to the vice president of medicine, the surgical director, and the nursing department director. The operating director, operating head nurse, and ward nurse were given two warnings.
The hospital is now fully committed to rectifying and implementing patient safety control mechanisms.
