Nurse sacked for blood transfusion goof-up at civil hospital

Ludhiana: A contractual nurse at the mother and child hospital, situated in the Ludhiana civil hospital, has been dismissed for blood transfusion goof-up. A 3-member inquiry committee of experts, constituted by former civil surgeon Dr Parwinderpal Singh Sidhu, has also recommended suspension of a lab technician, Samuel, a regular employee, at the hospital.
On May 21, a woman patient — Laxmi — with B+ blood group was administered A+ blood at the mother and child hospital, leading to medical complications.The patient was thereafter referred to Christian Medical College and Hospital on May 22.
The inquiry report has also revealed negligence on the part of duty officer Dr Sukhda and blood transfusion officer Dr Gurwinder Grewal for the lapse.
A three-member committee, comprising district injection officer Dr Jasbir, Dr Amrit Chawla and medical officer Dr Puneet Sidhu (eye specialist), has also recommended strict action against Dr Grewal and few others for failing to follow the exact procedure.
On May 21, Harpreet, Laxmi’s husband, had taken the slip to the blood bank where Sameul, lab technician, checked the patient’s blood sample for cross matching. Sameul performed cross-matching task and kept the blood pouch on the table where blood pouch of another patient named Rashmi was already there.
The attendant at the blood bank called out the name of Rashmi to collect blood, but Lakshmi’s mother received the blood unit as the name sounded similar. Since Lakshmi’s mother was illiterate, she did not read the blood group labelled on the pouch. But it was the duty of the doctor and the staff on duty to check the blood before transfusing it to a patient, the report mentioned.
The CMO has ordered dismissal of Ruth, a nurse, for administering blood of different blood group to patient. The fate of lab technician and other doctors and staff would be taken by the health director’s office, said sources.