WB: Columbia Asia faces heat for allegedly infusing wrong blood during Surgery

Kolkata: The family of a patient has lodged a case of medical negligence against the Columbia Asia Hospital in Kolkata.

The family has alleged that the hospital staff infused blood of a wrong group while performing a surgery.

The case has been filed in Kolkata's Bidhan Nagar police station.

The patient, identified as Baishakhi Saha, was taken to hospital after she had complained of abdominal pain. Thereafter, she underwent a surgery on June 5.

The woman is now battling for her life and is on the ventilator as post operation instead of A+ blood - which is her blood group - the hospital allegedly transfused AB+ into her body. Following which she suffered multiple organ failures.

"I admitted my wife to Columbia Asia hospital on June 5. She was infused blood of a wrong group during surgery. Her lungs and kidneys are damaged. The administration is now threatening to stop treatment if I refuse to pay the bills. I have already paid Rs 2.5 lakh," Baishakhi's husband Abhijit Saha told ANI.

 

I admitted my wife to ColumbiaAsia hospital on 5 June, she was infused blood of a wrong group during surgery. Her lungs & kidneys are damaged. Administration threatening to stop treatment if I don't pay bills, already paid Rs 2.5 lakh, also written to CM: Abhijit Saha, #Kolkata pic.twitter.com/lbMevKqAfn

— ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2018

Abhijit has also sent a letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asking her to take strict actions against the hospital authorities.

 

Kolkata: The patient is better now but she is still under observation. A team has been formed by our head office in Bengaluru to find out whether she was infused with blood of a wrong group: Dr. Tirthankar Bagchi, Chief of Medical and Admin, Columbia Asia Hospitals Pvt. Ltd pic.twitter.com/YbF7CUZ7DE

— ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2018

Dr. Tirthankar Bagchi of Columbia Asia Hospitals told Financial Express, “Someone might have called the patient’s husband for the outstanding bill but it was not that management who had forced him.” “If someone has done something wrong it will be investigated,” he added.

Hospital Issues Statement

Responding to the incident, the hospital issued a statement-" A 31 year old patient Ms. Baishakhi with a 3 week old tubal pregnancy was brought to Columbia Asia Hospital Salt Lake on 5^th June 2018. She had bled heavily into the abdominal cavity as a consequence of her tubal pregnancy and had to be taken up for surgery immediately. After the surgery the patient was given blood transfusion. During the transfusion she developed complication. The complication has been aggressively treated by a team of specialists monitoring the patient continuously, round the clock."

Providing update on the patient's health ( as on 13th June 2018-  7.30 pm), Dr Bagchi said, "Ms Baishakhi, is now stable and taken off the ventilator. She has eaten normally since afternoon.  All her vital parameters are within normal limits and she is expected to make a rapid recovery.  The hospital and its team of consultants will continue to provide appropriate and aggressive treatment until the patient recovers fully. We are committed to providing best care to the patient irrespective of any monetary considerations."