GUWAHATI: A case of alleged medical negligence has surfaced at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), where a woman admitted with fever was reportedly administered injections prescribed for a kidney patient, leading to a deterioration in her health.
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The patient, identified as Kavita Deka, was undergoing treatment for fever when a nursing intern allegedly injected her with three doses meant for another patient admitted in the adjacent bed. Her family claimed the medication error caused her condition to worsen.
Following the incident, GMCH Superintendent Dr Devajit Choudhury confirmed that the hospital has launched an internal inquiry to determine how the mix-up occurred.
Speaking to the media, the Superintendent said that the incident took place during a busy night shift amid a heavy influx of patients. He said the nursing intern on duty mistakenly failed to verify the correct bed number before administering the injections, resulting in the fever patient receiving medication intended for a kidney patient.
"The nurse failed to identify the correct bed number and administered the injections to the wrong patient," Dr Choudhury said.
He added that the hospital acted immediately after the error was detected, and the nursing intern involved has been relieved of her duties.
According to the reports, GMCH has constituted an internal inquiry committee to investigate the sequence of events and assess whether standard medical protocols were followed. The committee's findings will determine any further action.
The hospital administration also stated that nursing staff undergo regular training and that additional skill-based training programmes will be introduced to strengthen patient safety measures and reduce the chances of similar incidents in the future.
