The Global Hospital and Trauma Centre in Prayagraj in which a dengue patient died after allegedly receiving sweet lime (mosambi) fruit juice instead of blood platelets has been slapped with a demolition notice for unauthorised construction. The notice says the Uttar Pradesh hospital must be vacated by Friday.
The hospital was sealed last week after a preliminary enquiry revealed lapses on the part of its authorities. Its authorities had not replied to the earlier notices in this regard. All the patients have been vacated.
The family of the deceased 32-year-old dengue patient alleged that the hospital supplied mosambi juice in a bag marked ‘plasma’. The patient’s health deteriorated after being administered the bag. He was shifted to another hospital but died soon after, his relatives informed.
The family first learnt of the fraudulent move after doctors at the second hospital told them the platelet bag attached to the patient contains a mix of chemicals with something sweet like mosambi juice. The bag was examined but its findings whether the contents contain mosambi juice has not been made public.
The private hospital’s owner claimed that a different medical facility had provided the platelets and the patient developed a reaction after three units were transfused to him.
The aggrieved family has urged the UP government to take strict action against the hospital staff.
A day after this episode, the Prayagraj police arrested a gang of 10 men who supplied ‘fake platelets’. The accused would procure plasma from blood banks and repackage them as platelets. The arrests were made on a tip-off. At the time of the arrests, plasma pouches, some cash, mobile phones and vehicles found in possession were also seized.
