Criminal Penalty for Medical Malpractice

This study was carried out in Musanze District, Northern Province of Rwanda. The general objective was to assess the status of medical negligence and malpractice in Musanze District, Rwanda. Both primary and secondary data were collected. Questionnaire survey was used for primary data collection where purposive sampling was used. Secondary data were gathered from books, report, journals, magazines and internet. The collected data were analyzed by using Microsoft excel package.  The majority of respondents (88%) admitted to have been involved, witnessed of dealt with medical negligence and/medical malpractices case where only 14.7% of stated that the cases were taken to court. The majority of respondents, especially patients perceive the medical negligence and malpractice as a critical issue, whereas most of respondents are moderately aware about the rights to medical care (45%) in addition to 25% of respondents who are very aware about the rights to medical care. Most of respondents (37.5%) especially the patients ignore the laws governing medical negligence and malpractice. The majority of respondents (60%) perceive the existing laws as weak while as the majority of respondents (74%) think that the existing laws are rarely applied in case of medical negligence and malpractice. The main factor contributing the medical negligence and malpractice is the “scarcity of medical practitioners” (90%) followed by “other health priorities” (80%), poor training of practitioners (54%), law deficit (50%) and public ignorance (46%). The main perceived effect of the medical negligence and malpractice on victims is the “loss of trust in medical practitioners” (100%) followed by “condition worsening” (90%), defensive medicine (62%) and psychological damages (20%). The most frequently perceived solution would be “the effort by medical practitioners to reduce harm” (74%) followed by “awareness campaign” (62%), “improved communication” (62%) and “law enforcement” (28%). The study concluded that the current situation of medical negligence and malpractice is critical. The majority of service users ignore the existing laws; the main factor contributing the medical negligence and malpractice is the “scarcity of medical practitioners”; the most frequently perceived solution to medical negligence and malpractice would be “the effort by medical practitioners  to reduce harm and has recommended further researches and the empowerment of regulation organs and bodies, the organization of education and awareness campaigns about the existing laws, the increase the number of health practitioners and training of them on how to reduce harm to patients.

This study was carried out in Musanze District, Northern Province of Rwanda. The general objective was to assess the status of medical negligence and malpractice in Musanze District, Rwanda. Both primary and secondary data were collected. Questionnaire survey was used for primary data collection where purposive sampling was used. Secondary data were gathered from books, report, journals, magazines and internet. The collected data were analyzed by using Microsoft excel package. The majority of respondents (88%) admitted to have been involved, witnessed of dealt with medical negligence and/medical malpractices case where only 14.7% of stated that the cases were taken to court. The majority of respondents, especially patients perceive the medical negligence and malpractice as a critical issue, whereas most of respondents are moderately aware about the rights to medical care (45%) in addition to 25% of respondents who are very aware about the rights to medical care. Most of respondents ...