Millions die each year from medical errors, infections
According to the World Health Organization, going to the hospital is much risker than flying, since millions of people die every year due to medical errors and infections that are linked to health care. The WHO’s envoy for patient safety, Liam Donaldson, told Reuters that “something like 1 in 10” people who go to hospital “in any country” face the risk of being subjected to medical error, while chances of dying due to a health care mistake are 1 in 300. The risk of dying in an air crash, he continued, is about 1 in 10 million. Of every 100 hospitalized patients in developed countries, seven will acquire at least one infection related to their care; in developing countries, the number rises to 10.