High incidence of maternal deaths: Does medical and clinical practice needs stringent regulation? High incidence of maternal deaths: Does medical and clinical practice needs stringent regulation?

It is often asserted that tort law, and the threat of tort law with regulation, is unhelpful in terms of medical care and treatment as the fear of litigation discourages the open admission of medical and clinical errors. To this end, the severe option of criminalising such errors is also viewed negatively from a safety culture perspective.

But as maternal mortality ratio remains stubbornly high due to sepsis, haemorrhage and eclampsia, there is an urgent need for the Government to take measures that would strengthen the regulation of healthcare and clinical practices so as to prevent preventable deaths. It is indeed obligatory on the State to provide the resources and the necessary infrastructures to promote effective healthcare delivery. But also necessary for the Government to adopt a strategy to increase its steering and regulatory capacity; with object of influencing clinical practice if it is to curtail medical malpractices. Without effective legislative framework, patients cannot receive good healthcare necessary to preserve lives.