Additionally, three otherwomen patients are in critical condition, the official added.
The family members of the deceased woman, identified as Mamoni Das, alleged that Ringer’s Lactate administered on the intravenous (IV) fluid had expired, which led to her death. They have lodged a complaint at the Kotwali police station.
A 13-member medical team, formed by the state health department, led by Prof. (Dr.) Ashis Biswas, OSD (ME), West Bengal, visited the Midnapore Medical College on Saturday, to enquire regarding the allegations of expired saline being administered to patients at the hospital.
According to sources, the medical team, as part of their enquiry, has sought questions on how the incident happened, as per rules was there any audit conducted after the death of the woman, had there been any lapses on the part of the hospital or the concerned department or the store from where the saline was supplied.
Furthermore, sources have also informed that the medical expert team is also looking into the role of the store head.
After the incident, the health department had also directed the replacement of the existing saline stock with a fresh batch and has sought a detailed report from the Principal of the medical college regarding the alleged negligence. The health department has also asked for an explanation over the stocking of expired saline in the hospital.
Prof. (Dr.) Soumitra Ghosh, professor & HoD General Medicine, Medical College Kolkata and Prof. [Dr.) Saro.i Mandal, Professor, Cardiology, IPGME&R, Kolkata, had visited the patients in the CCU, after meeting two patients.
“They are currently stable, we have spoken to them and also spoken to the doctors there and given them some advice regarding how the further treatment should be carried on,” Ghosh told mediapersons.
After the meeting Prof. Biswas told mediapersons, “The matter is currently under investigation so we cannot say anything. We have taken samples of the Ringer lactate saline and samples of the other drugs that had been injected, even the drugs which were injected in the spinal cord. We have also enquired about the current condition of the patients. We have spoken to all the departments involved and taken all the documents. Beyond this, I am not at liberty to say anything investigation is going on.”
Meanwhile, a scuffle also broke out between the police and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) members outside the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital on Saturday while they protested against the negligence of the health department. The Congress also took out a protest rally inside the hospital premises.
Lactated Ringer’s injection is used to replace water and electrolyte loss in patients with low blood volume or low blood pressure. RL samples had been collected and a report from the drug control is awaited, an official said.