MY RESPONSE TO THE ZAMBIA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (ZMA). LET ME CLARIFY MY POST.
The Association issued a statement about my post. They said I claimed hospitals are inherently unsafe. They said I claimed errors are intentional. They called my message fear mongering. That is not what I said. Let me clarify, once and for all.
The Zambia Medical Association finally responded publicly as opposed to the private messages I was receiving before.
I welcome it. Dialogue is how we improve.
But they misunderstood my post. Or perhaps I was not clear enough. Let me clarify now once and for all so we can move forward.
WHAT I DID NOT SAY:
I did not say all hospitals are killing patients. I said medical errors kill patients. That is a fact. The Johns Hopkins study is public. The data is clear.
I did not say doctors are intentionally harming patients. I said errors happen. Most doctors are good people working in broken systems. Intent does not matter to the patient who is harmed. But I never accused anyone of malice.
I did not say avoid hospitals. I said go when you need them. But ask questions. Be informed. Do not trust blindly.
I did not say the system is hopeless. I said the system needs to change. That is why I am speaking.
WHAT I DID SAY:
I said patients have the right to ask questions.
I said informed consent is not just a signature. It is a conversation.
I said medical errors are the third leading cause of death in many countries. That is not my opinion. That is published research.
I said patients should ask: “What are the risks, and what are you doing to prevent them?”
That is not fear mongering. That is empowerment.
WHERE WE AGREE:
The Association said errors are not intentional. I agree. I never said they were.
The Association said medicine is complex. I agree. Complexity requires more transparency, not less.
The Association said hospitals save lives. I agree. Millions of lives. But that does not mean we ignore the ones lost to preventable errors.
The Association said patients should feel confident. I agree. But confidence without transparency is blind faith. Confidence with transparency is trust.
WHERE WE DISAGREE:
They said my narrative is “misleading and dangerous.”
I disagree. The dangerous narrative is that patients should trust without asking questions. The dangerous narrative is that errors are rare and acceptable. The dangerous narrative is that patients have no role in their own safety.
I am not fear mongering. I am empowering.
Fear mongering would be: “Do not go to hospitals. You will die.”
I never said that.
I said: “Go to hospitals. But ask questions. Be informed. Protect yourself.”
That is not dangerous. That is responsible.
WHAT I WANT:
I do not want to destroy trust in healthcare. I want to build informed trust.
I do not want patients to avoid hospitals. I want patients to walk into hospitals with their eyes open.
I do not want to attack doctors. I want to make our profession better.
I want transparency. I want data. I want patients to be told when errors happen. I want systems that learn from mistakes instead of hiding them.
If the Association wants the same things, we are allies. Not enemies.
TO THE PUBLIC READING THIS:
Do not be afraid of hospitals. Go when you need them.
But ask questions. Bring someone with you. Write down what you do not understand. Speak up if something feels wrong.
That is not fear. That is wisdom.
I am not your enemy. I am your advocate.
TO THE ZAMBIA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION:
I have clarified my position. I have corrected the misunderstandings.
If you still disagree, let us talk. Publicly. I am ready.
I am not going anywhere. I am not backing down. But I am also not your enemy.
The only enemy here is preventable harm. Let us fight that together.
Patient safety first.
Written by: Dr kaumba