BARIPADA: In yet another incident of medical negligence, a diarrhoea patient was administered expired saline at Kaptipada Community Health Centre (CHC) here on Sunday night.While the incident triggered tension on CHC campus with patients and locals demanding stringent action against the negligent medical staff, police were forced to detain a doctor to bring the situation under control.
Sources said 55-year-old Narendranath Mohanty of Dundaria village was admitted to Kaptipada CHC at around 11 am on Sunday after he complained of diarrhoea. A doctor diagnosed him and directed the nurse to administered saline on Mohanty.
In the evening, the doctor visited the patient and advised the nurse to administer another saline. After a few minutes, Mohanty felt uneasy and complained of headache and nausea. His son Tusharkanta immediately rushed to the chamber of Dr Ramakanta Baskey, who was on duty, for help. However, both the doctor and nurse said these symptoms are common and there was nothing to worry.
After some time, when Mohanty’s condition did not improve, Tusharkanta and other attendants became worried and on checking, he found that the drip which was being administered had expired in October, 2019. They immediately stopped the saline and accused the doctor of negligence.
As the news spread, locals protested against the negligence of the medical staff on the CHC campus. In the meantime, some locals found more than seven expired saline bottles and medicines strips fresh dumped inside the CHC dustbin. This further aggravated the situation in the CHC. Irate locals went to Dr Baskey’s chamber with the expired medicines and accused him and the nurse of playing with the lives of patients.
Dr Baskey said the doctor, who first treated Mohanty, directed the nurse to administer drip on the patient. It was the nurse’s mistake as she did not check the expiry date, he added.
As the tension refused to die down even after 12 hours, Kaptipada IIC Rina Behera along with a team reached the CHC and brought Dr Baskey to the police station.Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Dr Rupabhanu Mishra said Mohanty was shifted to Udala Sub-Division Hospital and later, discharged after his condition became normal. Sub-Division Medical Officer of Udala has been directed to probe the matter and necessary action will be taken against the doctor if found guilty, Mishra added.