Midnapore Expired Saline Death Case: Calcutta HC grants protection to Suspended Junior doctor

Kolkata: Following the recent case of expired saline administration that allegedly led to the deaths of a woman and her newborn, the Calcutta High Court has granted protection to a suspended junior doctor who was reportedly subjected to coercive police action. 

The court’s ruling comes after the state government suspended 12 doctors following allegations that the deaths were caused by the administration of expired Ringer’s Lactate supplied by a blacklisted company, Paschim Banga Pharmaceuticals Private Limited.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that one of the 12 doctors suspended from a government hospital in Midnapore Medical College Hospital in West Bengal, has approached the Calcutta High Court, accusing the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of harassment. The doctor has alleged excesses by the CID within the hospital in the name of its parallel probe in the saline-related deaths of two persons at the hospital earlier this month.

Also Read: Saline Death Case: Suspended doctor moves Calcutta HC, Accuses CID of harassment

On January 22, the accused junior doctor approached the Calcutta High Court’s single-judge bench, headed by Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, accusing the CID of "excesses" within the hospital under the guise of conducting its parallel investigation into the matter.

Also Read:12 doctors, PG Trainees suspended for Negligence in Woman's Death at Bengal Hospital

As per the recent media reports by Mathrubhumi, on Tuesday Justice Ghosh directed the CID not to adopt any coercive action including arrest in the matter against Bandopadhyay. However, at the same time, Justice Ghosh had directed Bandopadhyay to extend full cooperation to the authorities concerned in the probe process.

In response to the doctor's allegations, the Chief Minister of West Bengal defended the state's actions, attributing the negligence to the attending doctors. She stated that their negligence was the reason behind the suspension of the 12 doctors involved in the case.

According to the news reports, the Chief Minister gave a clean chit to Paschim Banga Pharmaceuticals, asserting that if the saline had indeed been faulty, similar incidents would have occurred in other state-run hospitals where the same supplier’s products were being used.

A recent report from a committee of clinical experts has raised concerns over the possibility that the injection of essential liquids such as Ringer’s Lactate and oxytocin could have contributed to the mishaps. The experts have recommended a more sophisticated clinical examination of the batch of Ringer’s Lactate and oxytocin used in the treatment.

According to Mathrubhumi, the committee also said that the batch of Ringers’ Lactate and oxytocin has already been forwarded for more sophisticated clinical examination. The committee, sources added, has also advised that till the report on this count arrives it is advisable to avoid the use of such clinical liquids of the same batch.

Furthermore, the Calcutta High Court on Monday directed the state to provide the accused senior resident doctor with a copy of the formal complaint, First Information Report (FIR), and the case diary related to the incident. This came after the doctor sought interim protection from any immediate legal action.

Justice Tirthankar Ghosh declined to grant any relief without reviewing the FIR and case diary first. Despite the state presenting reports from both the investigating officer and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Justice Ghosh insisted on full access to the documents for the accused.

Also Read: Expired Saline Death Case: Junior doctors of Midnapore Medical College urge DME to revoke suspension of 7 PG Trainess