The incident follows a series of alarming events at the hospital, sources said. Five pregnant women became “critically ill” after being administered saline, leading to allegations by family members that “expired” saline may have been used. Two of these patients were admitted to the Critical Care Unit (CCU) and one to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
“We have taken cognizance of the incident. The affected pregnant women are undergoing treatment. We have constituted a medical board to look into the cause,” Medical College Superintendent Jayant Kumar Raut told mediapersons.
Later on Friday, the relatives of the deceased submitted a written complaint to the hospital authorities demanding an investigation into the matter.
A large police contingent has been deployed on the hospital premises.
State Health Secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam said that a multidisciplinary team, comprising medical experts, cardiologists, and gynaecologists, would visit Medinipur on Saturday to look into the issue.
“There was a similar incident in Karnataka last year. The Centre and state governments are jointly looking into this. A team is going there for a thorough investigation,” said Nigam.
Meanwhile, according to sources, a “primary” report on the incident has reached Swastha Bhawan. The report indicates that the saline used may have caused an allergic reaction after which the women’s condition deteriorated, the sources said.
This incident echoes a similar tragedy in Karnataka last year, where four maternal deaths were linked to the use of “defective” Ringer’s Lactated (RL) saline linked to a particular firm. Soon after, the West Bengal health department banned the use of saline linked to the firm.
Following an order from the Drugs Control authority, West Bengal’s primary supplier of 14 essential medical items, Paschim Banga Pharmaceutical, was instructed to halt manufacturing until further notice. To ensure uninterrupted supply, the health department has authorised Pharma Impex Laboratories to supply seven of the 14 items at the same rate. This information has been updated in the Store Management Information System.