By IANS,
Jaipur: Three doctors of state-run hospitals in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur city have been suspended for the death of 16 pregnant women due to contaminated IV fluids, a state minister said Thursday.
“We have suspended Sumitra Boda, head of gynaecology department at Jodhpur Medical College, for supervisory negligence while Ajay Malviya of Mahatama Gandhi Hospital and Mohan Makwana have been suspended for irregularities in procurement of medicines,” Medical and Health Minister A.A. Khan informed the state assembly.
Since the second week of February, 16 women have died while giving birth to babies at Umaid Hospital, which is part of Jodhpur Medical College, and Mahatama Gandhi Hospital.
The action was taken after a team of experts from Chandigarh’s Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) confirmed that the women died due to administration of contaminated IV fluids, an official of medical and health department said.
The official said the women gave birth in different operations theatres, so the infection does not seem to be hospital generated.
The four-member PGIMER team Wednesday handed over to the state government its report concluding that the IV fluids caused infection and excessive bleeding in the women.
Earlier, a report of the Central Drugs Laboratory, Kolkata, also suggested that contamination in IV fluids led to the women’s deaths.
Informed sources said that gross irregularities in procurement of IV fluids were also found by the government.
“Three government hospitals in Jodhpur bought IV fluid from Parental Surgical India Pvt Ltd (Indore) through the local distributor Anshul Pharma, ignoring the established norms,” said an official.
The hospital administration had lodged a first information report against the firm which manufactured the fluids, following which its quality control manager Sanjay Shah was arrested.