KOLKATA: A youth died on Saturday at the state-run SSKM Hospital here after being administered a wrong blood group, even as the hospital had initially agreed to carryout dialysis on a dog following the recommendation of a ruling TMC MLA.
Debashish Kaibartya, a youth hailing from Burdwan district, was admitted to SSKM for surgery. He was administered a wrong blood group, following which he died on Saturday morning. Debashish’s family has lodged a written complaint with hospital superintendent Pradip Mitra, alleging criminal negligence.
Following stiff opposition from a section of the doctors at the hospital Mitra,though, withdrew the order. The incident, however, hasn’t gone down well with the leading nephrologists in the city.
Mitra had okayed dialysis for a dog on the recommendation of TMC legislator Nirmal Majhi, who is also a physician and president of State Medical Council and West Bengal unit of Indian Medical Council. The dog in question is a pet of one of his close relations. “Majhi has a medical degree but he is a politician. How could Mitra and Rajendra agree to his recommendation? Their registrations should be cancelled,” they said.
Majhi’s recommendation and its approval by the Mitra had sparked a controversy as human beings have to wait for months for obtaining a date for dialysis.
“Those who love animals also serve God. The dog is beautiful and was suffering for three months. So, I wanted some help from the SSKM Hospital,” Majhi said. Head of Nephrology Department at the hospital Rajendra Pandey seconded the TMC MLA’s view. “There was a request to conduct dialysis for a dog. So what? Both the humans and dogs are mammals and as such the same machine can be used for their dialysis,” he said.
According to Mitra, Rajendra had on June 10 sent him an SMS, saying that a dog had to undergo dialysis and the necessary failities be arranged for the same. “He felt it was a challenging case and said the technicians were ready. Only my permission was needed. Majhi too telephoned me with the request,” he said.
Mitra’s written approval read, “An unidentified dog advised for haemodialysis.”
Such an abnormal order surprised doctors of the Nephrology Department, but Rajendra ordered them to begin the procedure.
Visiting nephrologist Arpita Roychowdhury in her note stated, “It is not possible as virus from a dog’s body can be transmitted to the dialysis machine, which can later endanger the lives of human beings, who will undergo dialysis.”
Taking a jibe at the TMC MLA, LoP in state Assembly and former Health Minister Surjyakanta Mishra said, “As far as I know, Majhi is a doctor for human beings. It would be better that such doctors do not treat dogs.”