In a serious case of medical malpractice, two doctors at Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital have been arrested in connection with a heart operation that resulted in the death of a 12-year-old girl. One is charged with committing errors in the handling of a heart-lung machine and the other with covering up the errors and falsifying medical records.
It is the first time in Japan that doctors have been arrested on charges of malpractice. The patient, who was born with a hole in her heart, underwent surgery at the hospital in March last year. Investigations have revealed that she suffered fatal brain damage as a result of the failure of a mechanical blood and oxygen pump.
The doctors' arrests last week seem justified not only by the gravity of the malpractice but also by the alleged attempt to destroy evidence. Covering up a medical error can be as serious a crime as the error itself. At stake is the general standard of medical ethics. The immediate task for the university hospital is to re-establish its code of conduct and safety rules for the medical staff.