Labourer dies of ‘allergic reaction’, Kalimpong district hosp seeks govt probe

Darjeeling: The death of a 36-year-old labourer due to “allergic reaction”, after being administered a medicine for gastric problem, has prompted the Kalimpong district hospital to request Swasthya Bhawan in Kolkata to conduct an inquiry.
Bir Bahadur Tamang, of Kirney, Malli in Kalimpong, was admitted to the district hospital on Sunday after he complained of high fever.On Tuesday, he was administered pantoprozole (for gastric problem) and ceftriaxone (anti-bacterial) injections. Eleven others in the male ward also were administered these medicines.
After some time, all 12 complained of dizziness and pain. Tamang, the worst affected, was shifted to ICU. He died on Wednesday morning. The daily-wage labourer is survived by his wife Dhanmaya and two children aged 10 and 5.
Family members alleged Tamang died due to the hospital’s negligence. “He only had high fever when we admitted him to the district hospital. He was laughing and eating his food properly before being administered the injections,” said Dhanmaya.
Hospital authorities, however, said the blood test conducted a day before Tamang’s death showed he was suffering from liver jaundice and kidney failure. “The patient was suffering from liver jaundice. There was an allergic reaction to the drugs. Only a proper investigation will reveal how it happened. It is sad and unfortunate that he (Tamang) died,” said CMOH Nirupam Biswas.
Tamang’s wife refuted the hospital’s claim. “We were not told about my husband’s condition before he was taken to ICU. It was only after he died that the hospital said he was suffering from liver jaundice,” Dhanmaya alleged.
Biswas said it would not be right to blame anyone and added he had written to Swasthya Bhawan requesting “a team to visit our hospital and conduct an investigation into the matter”. He said that “an incident has taken place but we will have to wait for the report”.
Hospital authorities are perplexed since the medicines have been given to patients in the female ward too but there are no complaints. “The two medicines are used in all hospitals in the state. We have been administering these to patients in the female ward for last eight days. But the allergic reaction only happened in the male ward. We have stopped using the medicine for the time being,” Biswas said.
Tamang’s wife demanded that the authorities provide her compensation and a job. “My husband was the only earning member. Now that he is no more, who will pay for my children’s studies and needs. The hospital has to provide compensation and a job to help maintain my family,” Dhanmaya said.
The CMOH said he would write to the health department recommending compensation and a job for one family member. “Departmentally, we can provide contractual job to one family member based on their educational qualifications. For compensation, I will write to the health department in Kolkata,” he said.