Balangir CDMO Orders Probe Into Use Of Expired Saline

Balangir: The Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) of Balangir on Thursday ordered a probe into the use of expired saline injection after the incident came to light at the district headquarters hospital in the evening on Wednesday.

“I have ordered a departmental probe into the incident and action would be taken against those responsible for the incident,” said CDMO Sugyanendra Mishra.

Sources said one Achyutananda Swain of Gandhinagar Pada had admitted his ailing daughter to the Mother and Child Health (MCH) ward of the district headquarters hospital in the evening on Wednesday. Later the nurse had administered a saline injection to the girl in the night.

However, Swain was shocked after he found that the saline injection given to his daughter has already expired since November, 2017.

As Swain revealed the matter to the patients and attendants in the ward, the panicked attendants checked the other saline bottles and found three more expired saline bottles given to the patients.

Following information, the doctor in-charge of the ward S Nayak examined these expired saline bottles and removed them immediately.

Expressing resentment over the incident, Swain said the hospital authorities playing with the lives of the children.

Another woman, whose child is admitted to the ward said the doctors and nurses are not examining the medicines given to the children. “The doctors should have checked the medicines before they are given to the children. Giving expired medicines is a threat to the lives of the children, she added.|

When asked about the incident, Nayak confirmed that the expired saline injection have been given to three children. Stating that use of expired medicines to the children will have no effect on the patients as they have no effectiveness after their expiry.

“I would apprise my higher authority of the incident,” he added.

Meanwhile, the medicine store of the hospital has been locked by the in-charge staff soon after the incident came to light.