A 11-year-old boy died at Kolkata Medical College on Sunday after being admitted with stomach pain, prompting allegations from his family that a wrong injection caused his death and leading the state health minister to announce an inquiry into the incident.
The boy, identified as Pawan Yadav, was brought to the hospital’s Mother and Child Hub at around 10 am after developing stomach pain while visiting relatives in College Street. His family said he was able to walk into the hospital when he was admitted, but they were informed at about 11.30 am that he had died.
The family alleged that the child’s treatment was handled by junior doctors and questioned why a senior doctor was not present. One relative told Anandabazar that the family saw three injections being administered, while hospital staff said two injections had been given. The family has alleged that the child died because of incorrect treatment, but the cause of death has not been established.
Indranil Biswas, principal of Kolkata Medical College, said the child had been brought to the paediatric department with stomach pain and had been given an injection to reduce the pain. According to the principal, the child then suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was administered, but doctors were unable to revive him.
Biswas said the family had submitted a complaint alleging that the wrong injection was administered and that the hospital would examine the allegation. The account establishes that the hospital has acknowledged receiving the complaint, but it does not confirm that medication error caused the death.
The incident led to protests on the hospital premises during the afternoon. Some relatives allegedly confronted police personnel and hospital security staff, resulting in pushing and scuffles. The report said some protesters attempted to attack police personnel with helmets, after which police pursued them and detained several people in a prison van.
Health minister Shardwat Mukhopadhyay visited the hospital after learning of the death and met the child’s family. He assured them that the circumstances would be investigated and said an inquiry committee would be formed. Jorasanko legislator Bijoy Ojha also accompanied the minister, according to the report.
The episode has also renewed questions about medical staffing at government hospitals on holidays. A meeting had reportedly been held at the state health department on the availability of adequate doctors on Sundays and other holidays. The health minister had said on the preceding Friday that hospitals must have sufficient doctors on such days.
The child’s parents were initially unwilling to permit a post-mortem examination, saying they did not want cuts made to the body. They later agreed after the health minister requested them to do so. The post-mortem and the promised inquiry are expected to examine the medical treatment provided, the sequence of events, the medication administered and the availability of senior medical supervision at the time.
