45-year-old woman loses life after being administered wrong blood group during transfusion

(Image for representational purposes only)

Keonjhar (Odisha): A Government run hospital at Keonjhar in Odisha is under fire after a woman was allegedly administered the wrong blood group during a transfusion process, which proved fatal.

The incident triggered tension in the area and also resulted in the dismissal of two employees.

Outraged over the carelessness of the hospital, the woman's relatives and family members took to a road near the district headquarters hospital and staged a road bloackade and demonstration demanding action against the guilty and adequate compensation.

45-year-old Sukanti Nayak of Hadabandhasahi locality in old town area was admitted to the medicine ward of the district headquarters hospital here yesterday afternoon and doctors advised her one unit of blood, hospital sources said.

Acting as per the doctor's advice, the patient's husband Birendra Nayak went to fetch a unit of 'O' group blood from the blood bank in the hospital premises, they said.

However, the laboratory technician at the blood bank allegedly handed over a packet of 'A' group blood which was administered to the woman by a staff nurse, they said, adding that the patient died after a short while last night.

Subsequently it was found that the wrong group of blood had been transfused without proper verification, they said.

The hospital authorities admitted to the mistake, while the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO), Kabindra Prasad Sahu said as per instruction of the district Collector, laboratory technician Bharati Mahanta and staff nurse Hemangini Mahanta have been dismissed for gross negligence.

Besides, recommendation has been made to for action against a doctor for dereliction of duty.

Stating that a miscommunication at the blood bank had led to the unfortunate incident, Sahu said two requisitions in the same name had been received at the blood bank – one from Gynaecology and another from the medicine ward.

The blood meant for the patient in the gynaecology ward was by mistake handed over to the relatives of of Sukanti Nayak admitted in the medicine ward, hospital sources said.

(With PTI inputs)