Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB)
Udupi, Oct 2: In a case of alleged negligence by the district government hospital, a woman patient developed complications after being given blood of the wrong group.
Sumitra Poojary (33), wife of Raghavendra Poojary from Hejamady near Padubidri got admitted to the government hospital for women and children in Udupi on September 27 for delivery of their second child. She gave birth to a healthy baby the next evening.
On September 28, her doctor said that Sumitra needed blood (O-positive), and accordingly Raghavendra brought the required blood units from the Ajjarkad government hospital blood bank, without verification as he did not think the blood bank would make a mistake.
Thereafter, three nurses began transfusing the blood into Sumitra, at a time when Raghavendra was not in the hospital.
After transfusion of two-and-a-half units of blood, Sumitra developed discomfort in breathing and acute body pain. The transfusion was immediately stopped. Her hands began to swell, and as her condition worsened, the nurses, suspecting infection in the blood, asked Raghavendra to return the remaining blood and get another unit.
Growing suspicious, Raghavendra narrated the incident to the blood bank officials, only to realize that he had been given the wrong blood group. He alleged that the nurses had mentioned the wrong group in their note to the blood bank. He immediately gave a written complaint to the district health officer (DHO).
Thereafter, district surgeon Mahendra examined Sumitra and prescribed some medicines which improved her condition. He also apologized to the couple and assured that such blunders would not happen again.
Raghavendra alleged that nurses in the hospital treat outpatients with a degree of indifference. "Not even a single duty doctor came to check my wife's condition," he alleged, adding that the nurses who transfused the blood had also verbally abused him.
Damayanti, who was the chief physician of the hospital was transferred Brahmavar hospital a month ago, and Kishori from Lady Goschen Hospital, Mangaluru, replaced her around 15 days ago.
Sources said that the childcare unit at the hospital has no sufficient consultants and there is a shortage of medicines too. When required, the medicines are bought at private medical stores, sources said.
Raghavendra is now planning to approach health minister U T Khader for justice.
He also alleged that one of the nurses told him that family planning procedure was compulsory at the hospital after two children, and that if the couple does not agree to it, they would not be allowed in the hospital for the third delivery.
He urged that the health minister take immediate action and conduct a detailed investigation into the functioning of the hospital and the nursing staff.