Dengue Patient Dies As UP Hospital Gives Juice Instead Of Platelets, CM Orders Probe

A private hospital in UPs Prayagraj was sealed for allegedly transfusing fruit juice instead of blood platelets to a dengue patient. The patient was shifted to another hospital, where he died.

New Delhi: A private hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj was sealed on Thursday for allegedly transfusing fruit juice instead of blood platelets to a dengue patient who later died.

The district administration took cognisance of a video of the alleged incident that went viral on social media and on the direction of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, the hospital was sealed, news agency PTI reported.

"CMO ordered a probe after the patient died. In the probe, some irregularities were found. It has been sealed till the probe is completed," news agency ANI reported the Additional Chief Medical Officer as saying.

The patient identified as Pradeep Pandey was shifted to another hospital, where he died after his condition deteriorated, PTI reported officials as saying.

As per the report, no FIR has been registered at the local police station pertaining to the case so far

The owner of the private hospital claimed that the platelets were brought from a different medical facility and the patient had a reaction after three units were transfused PTI reported

In a tweet, Deputy CM Pathak said, "Taking cognisance of the viral video at the hospital where a dengue patient was transfused with sweet lemon juice instead of platelets, on my directive the hospital was sealed and the platelet packets have been sent for testing."

"If found guilty, strict action will be taken against the hospital," he wrote in another tweet.

According to sources cited by PTI, the patient died due to the transfusion of "wrong platelets" and the samples of those will be examined.

The report mentioned an officer as saying the hospital has been sealed on the instructions of the chief medical officer and will remain so till the sample is tested.

Saurabh Mishra, the owner of the hospital, said that since the patient Pradeep Pandey's platelets level dropped to 17,000, his relatives were asked to arrange blood platelets for him.

"They brought five units of platelets from SRN Hospital. After a transfusion of three units, the patient had a reaction. So we stopped it," he said, as quoted by PTI. 

The hospital's owner further claimed that the platelets should be examined and their origin should be traced because they had the sticker of SRN hospital on them.  "An inquiry is underway and the platelets will also be tested," District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar Khatri said.

(With Agency Inputs)