Hours after the Calcutta High Court pulled up the Mamata Banerjee Government for not taking proactive steps to suspend the usage of contaminated IV fluids in the State-run healthcare facilities, the West Bengal Chief Minister, who also holds the Health portfolio, suspended 12 doctors who worked at a Government hospital which had administered the saline. According to the Chief Minister, it was the negligence of the junior doctors that led to the death of a young mother who had delivered a baby the previous day.
The suspended doctors include the medical superintendent and vice-principal of Midnapore Medical College and Hospital and some postgraduate trainees. On January 8, five pregnant patients, Mampi Singh, Nasreen Khatun, Minara Bibi, Rekha Sau, and Mamoni Ruidas, had deliveries at the hospital. Mamoni Ruidas, a 22-year-old, and a newborn have died, and the other four mothers are in a critical state allegedly because of the use of contaminated saline. Ruidas died after two days following a deterioration of her health parameters and Singh, Khatun and Minara were referred to the SSKM Hospital in Kolkata after their condition worsened.
Mamata Banerjee, accompanied by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and Health Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam, spoke to the media at the State secretariat on Thursday and emphasised that negligence from doctors would not be tolerated. The Chief Minister announced the names of those suspended pending an investigation by the police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID). They are: Jayanta Kumar Rout, MSVP; resident medical officer Somen Das; assistant professors Dilip Kumar Pal and Himadri Nayak; head of department (gynaecology and obstetrics) Mohammad Alauddin; senior resident Pallabi Banerjee; and postgraduate trainees from first year and third year Moumita Mandal, Bhagyasree Kundu, Sushanta Mandal, Pooja Saha, Manish Kumar and Jagriti Ghosh.
“These 12 have been suspended along with pending investigation by the CID,” Mamata announced. “Those who were present that day because of their negligence, this incident took place. We don’t know what will happen if other patients go to them. We have to look after them.” Earlier on Thursday, a High Court Division Bench led by Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya heard petitions demanding an impartial inquiry into the contaminated IV fluid scandal. “It is rather disturbing to know that despite an order passed in December 2024 directing to stop manufacturing, the Health Department did not take proactive action to suspend the usage of the drugs. This was only done on 14th January,” Chief Justice Sivagnanam said in the order.
“We fail to understand why it took more than 10 days to pass orders for withdrawal of existing stock.” The Bench also directed the State to provide compensation to the family of the pregnant lady who had died. During her media interaction, the Chief Minister mentioned that the State would pay a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family of Mamoni Ruidas. She however said that if there was a problem with the saline, similar incidents would have been reported in other State-run hospitals as well. Mamata said the Government had sent the saline samples for retesting. “We will look for alternate IV fluids of good quality,” she said. “Juniors who are not qualified to perform caesarean section operations were sent. There was negligence involved. Proper anaesthesia was not administered. Where were the MSVP and head of the department? As administrative heads, was it not their responsibility to know?” she asked.
The Chief Minister said two separate teams, one with medical officers and another from the CID, had investigated the matter and submitted two reports. “If there is negligence, it is a criminal offence,” she said. The Chief Minister claimed one of the suspended doctors had performed three surgeries in another hospital in Debra’s Balichak in West Midnapore though he was supposed to be at the Midnapore Medical College. “The Government rule is that the doctors have to be in the hospital for eight hours. But many of them attend for two hours and then go for private practice. Why? They are free to do what they want after eight hours of duty,” Mamata Banerjee said. Mamata instructed Chief Secretary Pant and Health Secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam to immediately install CCTV cameras outside the operation theatres in State-run hospitals.
“There has been so much improvement in the healthcare system in the last 14 years but because of the negligence of some people, the entire system is being put on the dock,” she said. “Those families who have lost their loved ones have the right to ask questions and blame the system.” The leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari met Debashish Ruidas, the husband of Mamoni Ruidas at their home in West Midnapore’s Chandrakona and handed them Rs 2 lakh cash. “Mamata Banerjee is solely responsible for this incident and should be removed,” Adhikari said after meeting the family. “The list of patients who were administered the contaminated IV fluids should be released for the families to be aware of because the experts fear long-term damage to the kidneys.” Adhikari also told the family to reject the Rs 5 lakh offered by the State Government and demand Rs 50 lakh, as also a permanent Government job.
