Punjab CM orders probe following reports of infected blood transfusion in Phagwara hospital

Punjab Chief Minister on Friday ordered a detailed inquiry into the incident wherein infected blood was allegedly given to two patients and a mismatch blood transfusion to a teenager was reported at the Civil Hospital Phagwara, according to an official statement.

Punjab Chief Minister on Friday ordered a detailed inquiry into the incident wherein infected blood was allegedly given to two patients and a mismatch blood transfusion to a teenager was reported at the Civil Hospital Phagwara, according to an official statement. The chief minister has also ordered an immediate inspection of all the blood banks in the state.

The order came in the wake of media reports that two blood units, infected with HCV (hepatitis C virus) and HbsAg (Hepatitis B surface antigen), were allegedly given to two patients and mismatched blood to a teenager at the blood bank in Phagwara civil hospital. The blood bank at Phagwara has since been shut down and the concerned officer Dr Hardeep Singh Sethi has been placed under suspension. The contract of LT Ravi Paul has also been suspended, according to an official spokesperson,

Dr Kamal Kishore, Senior Medical Officer (SMO), had also been suspended and Civil Surgeon Kapurthala has been asked to file a criminal complaint with the Police Department for getting an FIR registered for criminal negligence. On the Chief Minister's directives, all blood banks in the Kapurthala district will be inspected by the District Blood Transfusion Committee headed by the Civil Surgeons within the next three days.

Further, in addition to other periodic inspections, as a one-time measure, all Government Blood Banks will be inspected in the next 15 days and private Blood Bank will be inspected by March 31, by teams of Food & Drug Administration and Punjab Blood and transfusion Council. The incident at Phagwara came to light during a joint inspection of the blood bank by drug inspectors on January 30, according to the spokesperson. A medical board was immediately constituted by Civil Surgeon Kapurthala for inquiry and for verifying the facts. (ANI)

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