The death of five people Tuesday night after allegedly being administered the “wrong injection” at a government hospital in Odisha has prompted the state medical authorities to order a probe.
The incident occurred at the Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital in Koraput, a state-run tertiary healthcare centre in the southern-most part of Odisha. The deceased are from various parts of the undivided Koraput and Kalahandi districts.
According to official sources, four of the patients were admitted to the surgery Intensive Care Unit of the hospital while the fifth was under postoperative care and observation. Hospital sources said the five patients died between 10 pm to 11 pm and were critical.
“Four patients died in the surgery ICU and another in the surgery ward. One among the ICU patients was suffering from cervical and in the fourth stage. Three others had severe abdomen injuries because of stabbing and one had serious liver issues. Another patient had severe head injuries because of a road accident,” Koraput medical college superintendent Susant Sahu said.
But family members of the deceased alleged that all five were stable and they were responding to treatment. “A staff member on night duty administered injections and at least three patients died within 15 minutes,” a relative alleged.
The medical college has ordered an internal inquiry, with sources claiming that the patients were given a Norepinephrine injection as a protocol. The injection is generally administered to rectify falling blood pressure levels.
“We have formed an internal committee comprising senior staff of the medical college. If we find any negligence, action will be taken,” the medical superintendent Sahu said. Koraput collector V Keerthi Vasan added: “Though we are yet to notice any medical negligence in the case, a detailed probe will reveal the truth”.
Hospital sources said the postmortem will be conducted after police formalities are complete to determine if a wrong injection or medicine had been administered.
Meanwhile, Odisha’s Directorate of Medical Education and Training (DMET) too has set up a panel of five senior doctors from two of the state’s premier medical colleges. The panel has until Thursday evening to submit its report.
