Rajkot (Gujarat), Dec 20 (IANS): A Thalassemia patient died after blood transfusion in Rajkot, her family alleged on Tuesday.

Patient Vidhi Pithva's family members said that "unfiltered blood was transfused to her on Saturday, the same evening she suffered an allergy and on Monday she died."

Vidhi's father Jitendra Pithva told the mediapersons on Tuesday that since last few months whenever blood transfusion of the thalassemia patients took place in Rajkot Government Hospital, they complained about allergy, either cold, or blood clot. In the past Vidhi had complained of cold, as it was not a serious issue they never complained, said Pithva.

"This time, when they saw black spots on her body after blood transfusion they rushed to the government hospital in the evening. They asked us to get sonography and other reports, which were done. The doctors did not take the complaints seriously and asked us to go home. Sunday evening she developed complications and again was rushed to the hospital, where she died on Monday morning. RCC blood was transfused, which is unfiltered, only LR blood should be transfused, which causes serious complications and leads to death," alleges Pithva.

Refuting all these allegations, Rajkot Government hospital Superintendent Dr R.S. Trivedi said there was no mistake committed in blood transfusion, but he does admit that the hospital does not have LR Machine, for which they have made requisition to various authorities for the fund approval and are waiting for it.

Trivedi also admitted to the local media that the machine costs Rs 40 lakh and the hospital was not having this machine. But, he refuted the family's charge that unfiltered blood was transfused to thalassemia patients in the hospital.