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What Killed My Dad?: Are Hospitals Safe?
In memory of my dad, I wrote this book to share the impact of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) on patients and their families, and raise awareness of patient safety among the general public.
I hope that our healthcare policymakers, hospital administrators and healthcare workers will make a concerted effort to improve practices and compliance with infection prevention and control strategies, and make patient safety their top priority.
My letter below was first published in The Straits Times Forum, 22 September 2016
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Monday's report ("Superbugs - why they matter to Singapore") reminds us about the hidden toll of drug-resistant superbugs.
Infections caused by superbugs are difficult and expensive to treat.
Deaths caused by these bugs don't seem to be adequately tracked and are not often identified as a cause of death.
Many patients contract superbugs in hospital settings, but there is no clear understanding of where a particular superbug is causing an outbreak or where infections are increasing or decreasing.
Thus, the public does not view the emergence of superbugs as a pressing health issue.
To contain healthcare costs and improve patient safety, I hope the Ministry of Health and the medical community will urgently stamp out superbugs and conduct public education on this threat.
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