HCV-infected blood issued to 85-yr-old by Phagwara bank

Panel to examine negligence, submit report today

Grave negligence, says senior official

“Action will be recommended after a careful examination. The negligence is indeed grave. Suitable action will be taken.” Pardeep Mattu, Joint Commissioner, Drugs,

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 5

In a case of glaring negligence, HCV positive blood (infected with hepatitis C virus) has been issued to an 85-year-old person from a blood bank in Phagwara.

This information was disclosed in a report by the Drugs Control Officer, Kapurthala, following an inspection of the blood bank on February 4. Two blood units infected with HCV and HBsAG (Hepatits B surface antigen) were issued to two patients, including the octogenarian, and the blood bank was also found not complying with the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 and Drugs and Cosmetics Rules 1945.

Incidentally, repeated cases of negligence have surfaced in blood banks in the Doaba region. In May 2017, 35 patients with thalassemia tested positive for Hepatitis C after transfusion of blood infected with HCV from a blood bank in Jalandhar. Major irregularities had also surfaced at a blood bank in Gulab Devi Hospital in Jalandhar in August 2018.

The inspection on Tuesday was conducted by Drugs Control Officer Anupama Kalia and Drug Inspector Sanjay Kumar.

The report states, “Certain serious observations were made in the processing of human blood by the blood bank. One of the observations was the issuance of HCV and HBsAG positive blood units (Bag No. 179 and 2922) to patients which were noticed during scrutiny of the record registers of the blood bank.”

The report states the inspection took place in the presence of the Blood Transfusion Officer, Phagwara blood bank, Dr Hardeep Singh Sethi. The blood for unit No. 179 was collected on January 24 this year and for unit No. 2922 on October 15, 2019. The infected blood units were issued to the patients on January 31. The copy of the inspection report along with records of the blood units have been sent to the Joint Commissioner, Drugs, Punjab, and the Civil Surgeon Kapurthala.

Meanwhile, Joint Commissioner, Drugs, Pardeep Mattu said, “The report has only come in this evening. Action will be recommended after a careful examination tomorrow. The negligence is indeed grave. Suitable action will be taken.”

Dr Jasmeet Bawa, Civil Surgeon Kapurthala, said: “A board has been constituted to examine the matter. A report shall be submitted tomorrow. We can make a formal comment on further action only after that.”