Madam, - Prof Denis G. Gill (January 17th) asks who in the Department of Health has accepted that up to 2,000 patients a year, or about six each day, die in Irish hospitals as a direct result of avoidable medical error.
The answer is the Minister for Health, Micheál Martin. In a speech of February 16th, 2001 to a seminar entitled "Medical Indemnity in the 21st Century", he said American data on avoidable medical error could validly be applied to Ireland. Doing so produces the figures quoted above.
The Minister added: "I believe that we are faced with a serious challenge to tackle it. We have a moral and ethical obligation to do so." His wide-ranging speech is available on the Department of Health website. - Yours, etc.,
MARY RAFTERY, Dublin 7.