Kaohsiung hospital penalized for performing surgery on wrong patient

Taipei, April 11 (CNA) The Kaohsiung Municipal Min-Sheng Hospital was hit with a fine of NT$500,000 (US$15,514) after surgery was performed on the wrong patient, the Kaohsiung Department of Health said in a statement Thursday.

The hospital was slapped with the fine -- the highest amount possible -- per the Medical Care Act, after a man surnamed Huang (黃), who was not supposed to receive chest drain surgery, underwent the operation on April 4, the department said.

According to the department, a worker who was helping with sending patients from their wards to the operating theater sent the wrong man down for surgery.

Nurses in the ward and operating theater, as well as the anesthesiologist and the doctor performing the surgery, failed to realize the wrong patient had been sent to the operating theater, the department said.

It was not until a nurse dispensing medication noticed Huang was missing from his bed that the incident came to light, however, the surgery had already been completed, the department added.

As well as the fine, the department said it had also ordered the hospital to compile a report listing improvement measures to help avoid such incidents happening again.

The department said it issued the doctor who performed the surgery two major demerits and dismissed him from his job after he was found to have falsified the patient's medical record.

Both nurses in Huang's ward and operating theater, the anesthesiologist and the worker who sent him for the operation also received demerits from the department.

Min-Sheng Hospital Dean Yan Jia-qi (顏家祺) was also removed from his post, the department said.

According to the deputy director-general of the department Pan Chao-ying (潘炤穎), Huang is currently in good condition.

The patient who was supposed to get chest drain surgery had the operation later that same day.

The hospital issued one warning to its vice president of medical affairs, the head of the surgical affairs department and the head of the nursing department.

Two warnings were each given to the head of the operating theater, the head nurse of the operating theater, and the head nurse of the wards.

Meanwhile, Deputy Health Minister Victor Wang (王必勝) said a specialized task force had been formed in accordance with the Medical Accident Prevention and Dispute Resolution Act, to further investigate the matter.