Blood transfusion goof-up at Rajasthan hospital kills mom-to-be, 23

JAIPUR: A 23-year-old pregnant woman from Niwai in Rajasthan's Tonk died Wednesday in Jaipur's SMS Hospital after being allegedly transfused with blood of wrong type. This is the third instance since Feb last year of blood mismatch during transfusion at state-run hospitals.

The victim, identified as Chaina, had been admitted to the hospital with low haemoglobin, severe tuberculosis and other complications on May 12. The medical staff recommended transfusion and sent a request to the blood bank with her sample, marked A+, on May 19, sources said. The woman received recommended units of blood next day. When a sample was again sent with a fresh requisition later, it was found her blood group was B+.

According to the transfusion reaction report, a copy of which is with TOI, the patient was diagnosed with haematuria and tachycardia along with fever and chills after the transfusion.

Dr Swati Shriwastava, under whose care the woman was hospitalised, denied that the wrong blood type was used. "I was on leave at the time. When I inquired, the doctors told me that when they started the transfusion, there was a reaction. The patient was already down with miliary TB. She had more complications after intrauterine fetal demise."

Prem Prakash, the patient's brother-in-law, said the family had no knowledge about the wrong blood transfusion. In Feb 2024, a 23-year-old youth died after he was allegedly administered the wrong blood type at SMS Hospital. A 10-year-old boy died of complications suspected to have been triggered by a blood mismatch at JK Lon Hospital earlier.