01 July 2010
By Vidya Krishnan
New Delhi, India
THE Hindu Rao hospital, run by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), has withdrawn a batch of expired intravenors fluids sourced from a private company after a patient who was allegedly administered it died on Tuesday. The batch of IV fluid reportedly has traces of fungus in it.
Ramla Devi, a 55–year–old diabetic, died at the hospital on Tuesday, hours after she was admitted. Family member alleged that she was administered a bottle of infected IV fluid and that caused her death.
The MCD, meanwhile, maintains that the patient’s death and the fungi–infested intravenors fluid were not related. "The patient was suffering from septicaemia and diabetes. She was given proper medical attention but she could not be revived. We do not think these incidents are related. We have, however, withdrawn the entire batch of the IV fluid," said Dr V K Monga, chairman of MCD’s Health Committee.
Meanwhile, a report on both incidents will be submitted to the civic agency on Thursday.
Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr P P Singh said incidents of saline and glucose getting infected are common.
"It is common practice to check IV fluid before it is administered. When it was realised that the bottle had fungus in it, it was discarded," added Dr Singh.
Though a postmortem has not been conducted, Dr Singh insisted that the death was "in no way related to the infected IV fluid".
Both the MCD and the hospital maintain that the batch was procured from an approved company and hence it would not be necessary to question the company regarding the quality of its supplies, added Dr Singh.
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