Eight patients die in Bihar due to transfusions with expired blood; health minister assures strict action

In a tragic incident, eight patients of Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) in Bihar died in the last two weeks allegedly after expired blood was administered to them. Alert junior doctors of the hospital made this revelation on Friday accusing the hospital’s blood bank department of tampering with the expiry date and batch numbers printed on the blood bags. [caption id=“attachment_4023459” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Kin of patients wait at Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital in Bihar. Alok Kumar[/caption] DMCH medical superintendent Santosh Mishra and deputy superintendent Baleshwar Sagar initially tried to defend allegations made by junior doctors, but after realising the seriousness of the issue they ordered to form a six member investigation committee. All departmental heads have been included in the committee which will submit its report within a week. Om Prakash, who is in charge of the blood bank, refuted allegations of tampering with blood bags and asserted that all bags are fully tested. State health minister Mangal Pandey told News18 that he had sought a detailed report from the hospital and assured strict action would be taken if allegations found true. Junior doctor Surya Prakash narrated the whole incidence, “ Angry people were clashing with us when some of the patients died just after blood transfusion. However we soon realised something was wrong when a patient, comparatively in a good shape, started signs of restlessness once we started transfusing blood to him. We immediately stopped the process and he was saved.” Another doctor Neeraj Singh demanded a thorough probe into the matter, saying, “The juniors are made responsible for any lapses. Even angry relatives of patients also target us.” Singh showed a blood bag on which printed details were visibly tampered with and the number three on the bag denoting the month of expiry was made to seem like an eight with the help of a pen.