Pharmacist Administers Anti-Rabies Injection to Chest Pain Patient at Odisha PHC
New Delhi: A case of alleged negligence has surfaced from Odisha's Kendrapara district where a pharmacist at a primary health centre mistakenly administered an anti-rabies injection to a patient who had visited the facility complaining of chest pain.
The incident took place at the Karilopatna Primary Health Centre when Anant Jena arrived seeking treatment for chest pain. At the same time, another patient who had come for an anti-rabies shot was seated beside him at the health facility.
According to reports, pharmacist Sudhir Dalai allegedly mixed up the patients and administered the anti-rabies injection meant for the dog-bite patient to Jena, who was unaware of the mistake at the time of receiving the injection.Shortly after the injection was administered, Jena reportedly began feeling dizzy, nauseous and complained of discomfort. He immediately alerted the pharmacist about his condition following which the error came to light.
Realising the mistake, the pharmacist reportedly rushed the patient in his own vehicle to the Kendrapara District Headquarters Hospital for further treatment and observation. Reports stated that the patient’s condition was monitored and doctors later assured that there was no serious health risk from the anti-rabies vaccine.
Odisha TV reports that Dr Sunil Kumar Sahu of the Karilopatna health centre confirmed the incident and said the mix-up occurred during a rush at the facility when a review team from Kendrapara had arrived for inspection. He also stated that the anti-rabies injection is generally considered safe and has been administered to thousands of patients without major side effects.
The pharmacist reportedly acknowledged the mistake, while the incident has raised serious concerns regarding patient verification procedures and safety protocols at government healthcare facilities. Authorities are expected to review the matter and take corrective steps to prevent similar incidents in future.
