The Knesset's health committee convened this morning (Monday) to discuss the computer glitch that caused patients, who were released from hospitals, to receive prescriptions for medications that were not suitable for them.
Ariela Eben from the Government Hospitals Division at the Ministry of Health updated on the ministry's activities since the fault was identified: "This is a fault that has happened sporadically over the years. We have seen cases since 2008. At that time the system existed in individual departments.
"Shiva implemented the system at a very early stage and there they identified cases that were counted and reported. There are other hospitals where there are a total of 188 cases throughout the entire period.
We are in the process of investigation.
Checking how many patients actually received the wrong medication.
So far this is about 5% of the patients.
Very low numbers.
These are the data from the government hospitals.
"At Sheba, a total of three patients were found to have received the wrong medication as a result of this malfunction. The malfunction has been dealt with and new cases cannot occur. We have forwarded to the HMOs the lists of the patients' medications in the cases in question for their examination."
Sheba Hospital, photo: Gideon Markovich
Even added: "We discovered an interesting thing - even in cases where medication was given, from what we see it was medication that the patients needed. Although the medication appeared on the list from another patient, the doctor made an informed choice and prescribed it to the patient."
Dr. Avinoam Pirogovsky, head of the medical department in the general hospital division, informed that overall there are 14 hospitals in all of them that use the Kamelion record, which is the software in which the problem occurred.
In the discharge letter, the error appeared in 60 cases.
In an examination of the actual dispensing in the dispensaries, 41 cases were found in which the wrong medicines were prescribed in general.
And there are other isolated cases from other funds."
A representative of Klalit added: "For us, the problem appears in 11 out of 14 hospitals."
A representative of the Ministry of Health: "A letter has been issued to the entire system and to the HMOs that guides what steps should be taken. The guidance is about proper disclosure and establishing contact with each patient, even if it did not lead to an order to give medicine or dispense the medicine. This also exists in the salvation centers and small hospitals. We will contact you now."
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