Keonjhar: Keonjhar district headquarters hospital is barely wriggling out of one controversy before getting embroiled in another. In the latest incident that caused furore at the hospital, a patient’s husband accused hospital staff of ‘selling’ him blood that is meant to be supplied free of cost.
The incident is learnt to have occurred Tuesday. An employee of the blood bank allegedly tricked a tribal patient into paying `4,500 for a unit of blood. Following the allegation, hospital authorities have launched an investigation to ascertain the truth.
According to reports, Subini Munda of Damu Hutting under Barbil police limits was admitted to the district headquarters hospital Thursday after she complained of severe stomach pain.
After medical examination, it was learnt that there was a stone in her stomach. Doctors asked her husband to arrange for blood donors for availing blood that would be required for an operation Sunday. While looking for blood donors, her husband Mahendra Munda came in contact with a blood bank
employee.
Mahendra later alleged that the employee demanded `4,500 from him to donate blood and provided a blood unit in exchange for the money.
“The employee went inside the blood bank and pretended to have donated blood and later took the money from me,” said Mahendra.
It is alleged that such incidents are happening most of the time, but relatives of the patients do not lodge complaints for fear of retaliatory action from the staff.
Suspecting the involvement of blood bank employees in such selling incidents, many patients demanded the intervention of the district collector and a high-level probe into the latest allegations.
Patients also alleged that there is complete mismanagement at the blood bank while patients fail to know about the supply stock of various blood groups at the blood bank.
The employees deliberately do not put up display boards at the counter, they added.
Patients demanded immediate steps in bringing about improvement in such services
Chief district medical officer Dr Kabindra Prasad Sahu said a probe has been ordered into the incident and action will be taken. He, however, said the deal was done outside the premises of the blood bank.
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