Taking suo moto cognisance of media reports on maternal deaths due to blood transfusion, the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has issued notices to officials in the Department of Health and Family Welfare, seeking a report on the incident within two weeks.
SHRC has issued notice to the Principal Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Director of Medical Education, Director of Medical and Rural Health Services and Project Director of Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society.
An expert committee
During a maternal death audit, officials found a higher number of deaths due to “haemolytic reactions” at the Government Medical College Hospital, Dharmapuri and government hospitals at Krishnagiri and Hosur, and an inquiry was conducted.
The Health Department has decided to constitute a committee to conduct an inquiry into the maternal deaths. Senior officials said the committee may comprise experts such as from the field of transfusion medicine.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association (TNGDA) and the Tamil Nadu Government Nurses Association, in a joint statement, urged the State government to constitute a committee comprising haemotologists to ascertain if the maternal deaths were really caused due to blood transfusion and whether it could have been prevented and submit a detailed report.
K. Senthil, president of TNGDA and Valarmathi, general secretary of the nurses association, said every year, nearly eight lakh units of blood was transfused to patients in Tamil Nadu. Experts across the globe have estimated that post blood transfusion, there could be 1% normal effects and 0.1% adverse effects.
Screening at each level
Blood banks in government hospitals were monitored by the Tamil Nadu AIDS Control Society, and blood was screened at each level before being transfused to patients. Patients are monitored for 24 hours after blood transfusion.
They said once the detailed inquiry was over and the actual cause of deaths determined, the associations would support the move to take action on the medical officers, nurses and technicians, if they were proved at fault.