NARROW ESCAPE FOR A LADY: WRONG BLOOD TRANSFUSION AT GMC

PANJIM: Alleged negligence by the doctors attached to unit I of the obstetrics and gynaecology department of the Goa Medical College, nearly cost a patient her life. Thanks to her stars the lady, however, survived after struggling for life for several days in the intensive care unit of the GMC and has since been discharged.

According to the information provided by highly placed sources in the GMC hospital four "bottles" of mismatched blood were transfused to the lady during an operation and the case came to light soon after the lady patient developed complications. She was, however, treated in the nick of time and came out of the severe problems after struggling for several days.

Taking serious note of the alleged mismanagement of the case the Dean of the GMC, Dr Viney N Jindal, on resumption of his duties after leave, constituted a three-member committee headed by Dr Silvano Sapeco, professor and head of department of forensic medicine, Dr Maryline Nazareth, professor and head of department of anaesthesia and Dr P Noronha, professor of surgery, to go into alleged case of negligence.

The committee has submitted its report to the Dean along with suggestions and measures to be taken in future to prevent such incidents. Following the receipt of the report a meeting of all the heads of clinical departments and heads of units along with the in-charge of blood bank was held and those responsible for the mix-up were severely reprimanded.

The GMC Dean has further laid standard operating procedures for preventing such occurrences in future. The SOPs consist of measures to be taken by the staff in the wards while drawing blood and filling the forms for requisitioning of blood from the blood bank.

The SOPs also consist of measures at the blood bank level wherein it has been mandatory that a qualified doctor should be available round the clock and he would be accountable and responsible for issuing of blood. Besides, the resident doctors would now have to draw blood and send the same to the blood bank for matching and requisitioning, in cases of blood transfusion.