Bengal CID begins probe into administration of 'expired' intravenous fluid to patients

Kolkata: The West Bengal CID quizzed a senior doctor and junior medics who were on duty at the gynaecology department of a state-run hospital, where a woman died and three others fell critically ill after childbirth, following the administration of alleged expired intravenous fluid. Senior officers of the CID reached the Medinipur Medical College and Hospital in Paschim Medinipore district on Tuesday and questioned the RMO, two junior medics and four nurses who were on duty at the gynaecology department on the night of January 9 when the incident took place, an official said.

"The officers also spoke to four post-graduate trainees who performed the surgeries that evening. The RMO was also asked the reason for his absence from duty," he said.

The CID officers also questioned the RMO on whether he had directed the junior medics on the course of treatment and the medicines administered to the patients concerned.

They also spoke to the family members of the deceased as well as those who fell critically ill after childbirth, he said.

The CID would submit its initial findings to the state government within three days, sources said.

Meanwhile, the condition of the three women, undergoing treatment at SSKM Hospital in the city, remained "very critical", an official of the state's health department said.

The department on Tuesday also came out with a list of 14 more medicines produced by the West Bengal Pharmaceutical, which are not to be administered to patients in state-run hospitals, the official told PTI.

"This is for the sake of precaution," he said.

The state government had earlier formed a 13-member committee to parallelly investigate into the matter.

The preliminary report filed by the committee indicate human error and side effects of other medicines that led to the incident, the official said.