Kolkata, Jan 13 (IANS): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday ordered a probe by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) into the case of death of a pregnant woman last week at state-run Medical College & Hospital in the state's West Midnapore district alleged after being administered with 'expired' Ringer’s Lactate (RL) saline.
Speaking to mediapersons at the state secretariat of Nabanna on Monday, the Chief Minister said that from the sequence of events, it is evident that there was negligence on the part of the doctors attached to the hospital.
The Chief Minister also made it clear that the probe by CID in the matter will go on in a parallel manner with the ongoing probe by the state health department appointed probe committee.
"Strict action will be taken in the matter after the detailed report by the probe committee is available. I will not tolerate any kind of negligence in the matter," the Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister's announcement to hand over the investigation to CID comes just hours after PILs were filed in Calcutta High Court in the matter.
Last week, five pregnant women were critically admitted at Medinipur Medical College and Hospital after allegedly being administered expired saline.
One of them, Mamoni Ruidas (25), died on Friday. The remaining four were under treatment at the same hospital.
Three of them were shifted to state-run S.S.K.M. Medical College and Hospital in south Kolkata on Sunday night following sharp deterioration in their health conditions.
The incident raised serious concerns, especially as the expired RL saline allegedly came from Paschim Banga Pharmaceutical Limited, a company earlier banned by the Karnataka government and later by the West Bengal government.
The West Bengal health department has formed a 13-member inquiry committee to investigate how expired saline was administered to these patients.
This incident has revived concerns over similar cases in the state’s healthcare system.
Notably, in a recent case of financial irregularities at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, its former principal, Sandip Ghosh, was accused of encouraging the use of expired and ineffective drugs on patients for personal financial gains.