Pune: Man, 34, dies at Sassoon hospital for want of B-positive blood

PUNE:

from Kolkata was admitted to the Sassoon general hospital on Sunday evening after he complained of feeling uneasy and extremely weak. Less than 24 hours later, the 34-year-old died at the hospital allegedly for want of B-positive blood.

Rigdeb’s shell-shocked father Ratnadeb also blamed the lackadaisical attitude of the staff for his son’s death. “A colleague brought Rigdeb, who worked at a Hinjewadi-based hotel, to the hospital around 6pm on Sunday. He was unable to eat and had been vomiting. But even till late Monday morning, the staff had not given my son any food or water. He wasn’t even allowed to go to the washroom,” he said.

Murlidhar Tambe, acting dean of Sassoon hospital, said, “The patient had severe anaemia and required B-positive blood, which was not available in the blood bank. Usually, resident doctors and medical officers donate blood. However, only a third of the staff is working with non-Covid patients and the load is tremendous. Normally, friends or family members manage to arrange blood through donors but, due to the lockdown, there is a shortage at the blood banks. Unfortunately, the patient passed away.”

Ratnadeb said, “Rigdeb had called to say he had been given an injection in the hospital and was feeling sleepy. He later called to say he had carried only one bottle of water and a pack of biscuits to the hospital but had now run out of food and water,” he said.

Ratnadeb managed to speak to a medical intern, who said Rigdeb’s haemoglobin level had dropped to 2.8d/gL. His blood sample was sent for testing and the report was expected at 2am. “When I called again, the intern told me that the blood transfusion would begin soon. I again called a little later and was told that the doctor had gone to check the blood group. I wanted to know why it was taking them so long to start the treatment,” he said.

When Ratnadeb spoke to Rigdeb around 9.30am on Monday, he said no doctor had come to visit him and he hadn’t eaten anything either. Two hours later, when Ratnadeb again called, Rigdeb begged to be taken away from the hospital as things “did not seem right”. By this time, everyone in the Banerjee household was trying to get in touch with any medico at the hospital but to no avail. “Sometime around noon, Rigdeb answered my call and said there wasn’t even a fan in the room. ‘Baba, I cannot move’, he said,” recalled Ratnadeb.

Soon after, the family could not get in touch with Rigdeb as his cell phone had run out of charge. The hospital staff told the father that he was sleeping. However, Ratnadeb’s sister-in-law, who was also calling the hospital officials, informed him that Rigdeb had passed away.

“The last we spoke over the phone was around noon and his words were, ‘I am sinking, dad! Please take me out of this place.’ Then, I was informed that he had died. This, despite the fact that his endurance was very high. He was a fitness freak,” said the father.

Ratnadeb said he gave permission to an acquaintance for Rigdeb’s last rites, which were performed at 7pm on Tuesday. He is working out how to reach Pune even as lockdown restrictions continue. He claimed the hospital hadn’t even informed him about his son’s death and Rigdeb was being treated as an unidentified person.

Hospital officials said the incident was unfortunate. It was only due to the lack of the required blood group that the patient had succumbed and the hospital had no contact details of the family, the staff stated.

Tambe said, “The hotel manager dropped the man to the hospital on Sunday. There was nobody with him after that. He had become violent and had even removed the IV tube and catheter. We don’t have the contact details of the family members or his address. We also contacted the hotel manager who brought him here. Now, it has become a medico-legal case and the police will proceed with the matter.”

MP Supriya Sule, who was contacted by Rigdeb’s relatives hoping for an intervention, said, “I received a call through an MP in West Bengal. I have spoken to the authorities and ordered a detailed inquiry. I will be able to comment once I get a report from the hospital.”