Expired saline case: Bengal LoP demands immediate arrest of health minister, secy

Kolkata, Jan 21 Leader of Opposition (LoP) in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, on Tuesday demanded immediate arrest of West Bengal health minister and health secretary in connection with the recent expired saline related deaths.

A woman and the newborn baby of another affected woman died at a government medical college and hospital in West Midnapore district earlier this month, allegedly after being administered expired Ringer’s Lactate solution.

While Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee holds the health portfolio, the state health secretary is Narayan Swarup Nigam.

LoP Adhikari on Tuesday participated in a protest organised by a section of the civic society at Midnapore town where the hospital is located and he raised this demand there.

He claimed that the state government allowed Paschim Bangla Pharmaceuticals Private Limited to continue supplying Ringer’s Lactate to government hospitals in West Bengal even after the same entity was blacklisted by the Karnataka and West Bengal governments.

He also accused the state health department of conveniently shifting the entire blame on the doctors of the said hospital by suspending 12 doctors attached to it.

He also demanded a ‘proper’ probe in the matter different from the ‘biased’ one currently being carried out by the Criminal Investigation Department of the police.

“We also demand that the suspension of the doctors of the state-run hospital be revoked immediately,” he said on Tuesday.

“Last but not the least, the families of the victims should be adequately compensated. They should not be offered a paltry sum in a hush hush manner to bury the incident,” he added.

Earlier this month, five women had fallen sick at the hospital in West Midnapore allegedly after being administered with expired Ringers’ Lactate.

One of the five women, Mamoni Ruidas died first and thereafter the newborn of another affected woman, Rekha Shaw, also died.

Thereafter the entire state was on the boil following allegations of administration of expired Ringers’ Lactate supplied by a blacklisted firm.

However, recently CM Banerjee announced at a press conference that the negligence of doctors was the main reason behind the mishap and she also announced the suspension of 12 doctors, six seniors and six juniors, including the medical superintendent-cum-vice principal and the resident medical officer the hospital.

Source: IANS