Mamata today said 12 doctors including the MS and 6 PG trainee doctors of Midnapore Medical College and Hospital have been suspended for clear cases of medical negligence.
CID will investigate the 12 doctors who have been suspended by the state health department.
According to the CM, it was the junior doctors who were negligent who gave spurious saline to a pregnant woman from West Bengal pharmaceuticals.
The company has already been blacklisted by the state government.
Health officials said, according to the investigation, it was found that on the day of the surgery of the pregnant woman, a senior doctor went to a private nursing home for his practice instead of looking after the patient who had been shifted to the ICU.
The state government has given Rs 5 lakh to the deceased’s family as compensation.
Meanwhile a division bench of Calcutta High Court, comprising Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya on Tuesday directed not to use saline of Paschim Banga Pharmaceuticals Limited which was given to the pregnant woman who died a few hours after taking saline.
The bench heard two public interest litigations (PILs) on the Ringer’s Lactate saline controversy in Midnapore Medical College and Hospital.
A woman died on January 10 after delivery and several others fell ill critically after taking the banned saline. The incident had sparked political furore with opposition questioning the use of saline from Paschim Banga Pharmaceuticals Limited which was blacklisted in December last year.
The court directed the West Bengal Health and Family Welfare Department and Chief Secretary Manoj Pant to file detailed report on the issue. The division bench also asked the state government to compensate the victim’s family.
It also asked the Centre to file an ‘action taken report’ on what action has been taken against Paschim Banga Pharmaceuticals Limited.
Reports to be filed in two weeks, the court said while hearing the two PILs filed by senior advocate Phiroze Edulji and advocate-cum-BJP leader Koustav Bagchi. The division bench has listed the matter for next hearing on January 30.
West Bengal’s Advocate General Kishore Datta told the court that a 13 member committee has been formed to look into the matter. A CID investigation has also been launched.
When Chief Justice Sivagnanam asked AG Datta, he said 30,000 bottles of saline were supplied in three batches to most state run hospitals. Hospitals have been asked not to use the saline.
Samples have also been sent to laboratories within the state and the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) in Mumbai for testing, he added.
Senior advocate Edulji alleged in the court that several years ago, a doctor in North Bengal raised concerns about the saline, but instead of addressing the issue, the state government took action against the doctor.
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