Rajkot: Two more die after blood transfusion, toll 5

[ 6 Sep, 2006 0311hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]

RAJKOT: The toll in the case involving deaths allegedly after blood transfusion in the city reached five, with two more deaths reported in the last two days.

The mysterious deaths have finally woken up the state government, which has sent a team, headed by state drug controller Ramakrishna Reddy, to the city to investigate the matter.

Three mysterious deaths were reported last Friday and Saturday, besides about six patients left critical after receiving blood. The source of blood in all cases was the same blood bank.

The five victims are Samajuben Sojitra, Puja Gorasia, Dayaben Bagtharia, Anal Rajani and Kantaben Shigala.

The fourth victim, Rajani, 27, a resident of Jagannath plot area, was admitted to Dr Rajesh Gorasia's hospital for operation and prior to that blood collected from Young Star blood bank was given to her.

But after the transfusion, her health deteriorated and she was shifted to Dhakan Hospital where she was kept on ventilator.

Talking to TOI, critical care physician of the hospital, Dr Sankalp Vanzara, said that it was difficult to say anything conclusively, but one reason of death might be the blood transfusion.

In the case of Kantaben Shingala, she had a tumour in her stomach and was to be operated at Dr Yogesh Maheta's hospital where doctors advised blood transfusion.

Again, after the transfusion, her condition deteriorated, which was confirmed by Dr Maheta. Unlike other victims' relatives, Kantaben's relatives agreed on a post-mortem. Police and food and drug authorities are waiting for the forensic report.

Meanwhile, a circular has been issued by Rajkot Civil Hospital medical superintendent VA Chaya asking doctors at government hospitals not to transfuse blood to any patient collected from the private blood bank.

Police commissioner K Nityanadam said that there has been no complaint either from relatives of the victims or the food and drug department.

Sources said that from August 28 to September 2, in all 539 patients were given blood from the local blood bank. The state team had a meeting with district collector Pradeep Sharma.

The team has taken statements of the blood bank's technicians, doctors of the hospitals where patients died, relatives of the victims and trustees of the blood bank.

The team also gathered history of patients, who died after blood transfusion.