Bengal Saline Death: Autopsy Report Blames Multi-organ Failure, Septicemia

The victim's family has blamed the expired Ringer’s Lactate as the prime reason and has demanded solatium and exemplary punishment for negligent medics and staff.

Medinipur: The autopsy report of Mamoni Ruidas, who died after being administered expired saline in the state-run Midnapore Medical College and Hospital on January 10, has attributed multi-organ failure due to septicemia as the reason for death.

However, the report is yet to be handed over to her family, who have been blaming the expired Ringer’s Lactate as the prime reason and have demanded solatium from the government along with exemplary punishments for the negligent doctors and healthcare staff.

The revelations by the autopsy report have added to the expired saline row as questions are being asked about how can a surgery lead to multi-organ failure and whether there was a possible delay in surgery. The cause of septicemia is still not clear to the family members.

"We went to the police station to collect the autopsy report but they said it can't be handed over due to the ongoing Criminal Investigation Department (CID) investigation. The health of the newborn, who was discharged after Mamoni's death, started deteriorating and had to be readmitted to the same hospital. We have not received any help from the administration and want exemplary punishments for those responsible," a family member said.

Sources aware of the development said the initial post-mortem report has also pointed out the existence of toxic body fluid in her body, raising the question of whether the victim was also administered with oxytocin to keep the impact of the toxic body fluid under control.

Already two parallel probes are being conducted in the matter, the first by a committee set up by the state health department and the second by CID of the state police.

Last week, five women including the victim fell sick at the said state-run medical college and hospital in West Midnapore district allegedly after being administered with expired Ringer’s Lactate. Ruidas died in the hospital and the four women were being treated at the critical care and intensive care units of the same hospital. Following a sharp deterioration in their conditions, they were referred to the state-run SSKM Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

The health department directed the medical superintendents-cum-vice principals of all state-run medical colleges and hospitals and chief medical officers of the districts "to ensure total stoppage of the existing stock of Compound Sodium Lactate Injection (RL) supplied by Paschim Banga Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd in his/her jurisdiction".

Later, the government also directed the removal of stocks of all medicines supplied by the said company from all healthcare entities across the state. The incident has revived concerns over similar cases in the state healthcare apparatus.