Bengal ‘expired’ saline case: Expert report does not out rule out impact of injected liquids

While the West Bengal government is sticking to its stand that the doctor’s negligence was the reason behind the death of one woman and a newborn baby at a state-run hospital in West Midnapore district earlier this month, an expert committee of the state health department has not ruled out the possibility of adverse impact of injection of essential liquids like Ringers’ Lactate and oxytocin triggering the mishaps. 

Currently, two parallel probes into the matter are going on, one by an expert committee of the state health department and the other by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the state police.

Sources aware of the development said the expert’s committee in its report has not ruled out the adverse impact of the administration of Ringers’ Lactate and oxytocin behind such mishaps. The committee had also said that the batch of Ringers’ Lactate and oxytocin have been forwarded for more sophisticated clinical examination.

The committee, sources added, has also advised that till the report on this count arrives it is advisable to avoid the use of such clinical liquids of the same batch.

Earlier this month, five women had fallen sick at the said state-run hospital in West Midnapore allegedly after being administered with expired Ringers’ Lactate.

One of the five women, Mamoni Ruidas died first and thereafter the newborn of another affected woman, Rekha Shaw, also died. Thereafter the entire state was on the boil following allegations of administration of expired Ringers’ Lactate supplied by an entity, Paschim Banga Pharmaceuticals Private Limited, which was first blacklisted by the Karnataka government and subsequently by the West Bengal government.

However, recently Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced at a press conference that doctor’s negligence was the main reason behind the mishap and she also announced the suspension of 12 doctors, six seniors and six juniors, including the medical superintendent- cum- vice principal (MSVP) and the resident medical officer (RMO) of the hospital.

The junior doctors of the hospital are on partial cease-work there which has not affected the medical services since normal functioning is on both at the emergency department as well as the out-patient department (OPD).