UP: Dengue patient dies after allegedly transfused with fruit juice instead of platelets, hospital sealed
Prayagraj (UP): A private hospital here has been sealed for allegedly transfusing fruit juice instead of blood platelets to a dengue patient who later died, police said.
After a video of the alleged incident went viral on social media, the district administration swung into action and the hospital was sealed on Thursday on the direction of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak.
The patient, Pradeep Pandey, was shifted to another hospital, where he died after his condition deteriorated, officials said. However, no FIR has been registered at the local police station.
The owner of the private hospital claimed that the platelets were brought from a different medical facility and the patient had a reaction after three units were transfused.
In a tweet, Deputy CM Pathak said, "Taking cognisance of the viral video at the hospital where a dengue patient was transfused with sweet lemon juice instead of platelets, on my directive the hospital was sealed and the platelet packets have been sent for testing."
"If found guilty, strict action will be taken against the hospital," he said.
According to sources, the patient died due to the transfusion of "wrong platelets" and the samples of those will be examined. Asked about the reason for sealing the hospital, an officer, on condition of anonymity, said it has been done on the instructions of the chief medical officer and will remain so till the sample is tested.
Saurabh Mishra, the owner of the hospital, said that since the patient's platelets level dropped to 17,000, his relatives were asked to arrange blood platelets for him.
"They brought five units of platelets from SRN Hospital. After transfusion of three units, the patient had a reaction. So we stopped it," he said. Mishra said that the platelets should be examined and their origin should be traced because they had the sticker of SRN hospital on them. District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar Khatri said, "An inquiry is underway and the platelets will also be tested."
Meanwhile, in another incident, ten members of a gang allegedly selling fake platelets to patients were arrested here on Friday
Senior Superintendent of Police Shailesh Kumar Pandey said the accused used to take plasma from different blood banks and then put it in pouches and sell the plasma as platelet. The arrests were made following a tip-off, he said, adding some fake platelet pouches were seized from the possession of the accused. Pandey also said 12 persons were arrested a few days ago for allegedly supplying blood in an illegal manner.
When asked about a case pertaining to the sealing of a private hospital on Thursday for allegedly transfusing fruit juice instead of blood platelets to a dengue patient who later died, he said, "During the course of interrogation, it has not been confirmed whether it was a fruit juice in the pouch or something else." "These people sell plasma as platelets. A sample is being sent to a laboratory and a correct picture will emerge only after an examination," the SP said.
