On Monday, tension was high in Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital (MCH) after a girl who was suffering from thalassemia died owing to alleged negligence of the doctors. Supriya Patra, a 17-year-old, daughter of Sunaram Patra was a resident of Sapanchua village that comes under Shamakhunta block of Mayurbhanj district.

After Supriya’s death, Sunaram with his family and relatives placed her body at the main entrance of the MCH and demanded immediate suspension of the doctors who were treating the girl. The crowd manhandled MCH Superintendent BN Mohapatra also when he tried to calm the mob in the presence of police.

Sunaram said that his daughter was admitted to the MCH on 30th October as she was getting weak because of the blood shortage and he requested the doctors on the 2nd day to issue a requisition certificate for a unit of blood as he had arranged a donor. But the doctors directed him to wait as formalities like COVID-19 and haemoglobin tests were to be done.

On Sunday, the blood sample of Supriya was collected and the test reports came in the night at 8 pm. But the girl’s condition had started to deteriorate and Sunaram requested the doctors to administer blood to his ailing daughter. However, the doctors refused to take any risk in the night and advised him to wait till Monday and Supriya died at 8 am on Monday.

Following the girl’s death, her furious family and relatives rushed to the MCH and confronted the superintendent. The situation was brought in control only when Mohapatra guaranteed that an inquiry will be started within 15 days and strict action would be taken against doctors if they are found guilty.

The district administration assured to offer `10,000 as ex-gratia to the relatives of the deceased from the Red Cross fund.

KK Hariprasad, Baripada SDPO said that the girl’s body was sent for post-mortem after the situation was undercontrol. No complaint was lodged either by the MCH authorities or the girl’s parents till the time the reports came.

Source: The New Indian Express