Odisha Shocker: 3-Yr-Old Girl Prescribed Medicines For Elderly Patients In Balangir

Balangir: In a case of sheer medical negligence, a minor girl was allegedly prescribed medicines meant for two elderly patients at Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital  here.

As per reports, the pathology reports of the three-year-old girl got exchanged with that of two other patients in the hospital. The on-duty doctor also didn’t check the reports properly and prescribed medicines for the child.

The girl was identified as Aniska, the daughter of Sankirtana Behera of Chimnibhati in Balangir district.

Hospital sources said Aniska was suffering from fever when her father had brought her to the hospital on February 15. The on-duty doctor advised blood and urine tests for the girl at the pathology lab of the hospital.

However, the girl’s family members got suspicious when they saw the unusual number of medicines prescribed for her. They checked the lab reports and found that they were in the names of a 53-year-old and a 55-year-old patient.

“My brother saw the reports and informed me that the medicines were meant for two elderly persons and not my daughter. What would have happened if I had given the medicine to my daughter,” Behera said.

After the incident surfaced on Tuesday, the hospital’s pathology department admitted its fault.

“The registration number of the child was mentioned as 121 in the lab records, but during despatch, the reports got exchanged,” said Manoj Patra, associate professor at the pathology department.

On his part, the hospital’s administrative officer, Radheshyam Padhy, said, “Prima facie, it seems to be a case of negligence. Following a probe into the incident, stern action will be taken against those found guilty.”