OSMCL saline bottles have no expiry date

CUTTACK: Saline bottles provided to patients in SCB Medical College and Hospital (SCB MCH), have no manufacturing and expiry dates nor batch numbers, posing serious threat to their lives.The matter came to light on October 29 after authorities of Casualty department provided a DNS saline bottle to some volunteers for treatment of a destitute patient.

Before using the intravenous fluid, the volunteers checked its manufacturing and expiry dates and raised an alarm. The saline bottle containing sodium chloride and dextrose injection was found to have no dates fuelling fear among other patients and their attendants. 

Following the incident, the attendants started checking the saline bottles provided for administration to  their patients. They found the manufacturing and expiry dates missing on some of the bottles. The Odisha State Medical Corporation Limited (OSMCL) has been supplying medicines, saline and other medical equipment to the SCB MCH. 

“The incident exposes the recklessness of the OSMCL and shows how carelessly the authorities are dealing with the lives of the patients,” said a city-based health expert. In August 2011, a 60 year-old malaria patient of Ganjam, who was undergoing treatment at the medicine ward, had died hours after she was allegedly administered expired saline.

Store Medical Officer of SCB MCH Dr Sarat Singh said he had contacted the authorities of OSMCL on the issue after the incident came to his notice. “The OSMCL authorities have clarified that it was either a mistake by chance in stamping the manufacturing and expiry dates on the bottles or it was erased. The corporation officials have also intimated the manufacturing company on the issue,” Singh said.