The Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to constitute a high-level committee to curb incidents of medical negligence and fix accountability in government hospitals. The order came after a hospital in Prayagraj admitted that a woman patient was transfused with the wrong blood group, leading to her death.
The incident took place at Swaroop Rani Hospital, the teaching hospital attached to Moti Lal Nehru Medical College. During court proceedings, the state government’s counsel acknowledged that although the patient’s blood group was ‘O’ Positive, she was mistakenly transfused with ‘AB’ Positive blood.
The incompatible transfusion reportedly caused severe post-operative complications, which ultimately resulted in the patient’s death. The hospital did not dispute that the mismatch in blood transfusion was the cause of death.
A division bench comprising Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Siddharth Nandan passed the order on February 2 while hearing a plea filed by the deceased patient’s son. The court observed that medical records prima facie indicated that subsequent treatment appeared to be an attempt to counter the adverse effects of the incompatible transfusion.
Emphasising Article 21 of the Constitution, the High Court underlined that the right to life includes the right to safe medical treatment. The bench stated that the Constitution imposes a duty on the state and its functionaries to ensure patient safety and accountability in public healthcare institutions.
The court further noted that the principal of the concerned medical college bears responsibility for protecting the rights of admitted patients. The admitted lapse in this case reflected a failure of oversight and institutional safeguards, the bench observed.
To prevent recurrence of such incidents, the court directed the Director General of Medical Education (DGME), Uttar Pradesh, to ensure the formation of a committee at the hospital level. The committee, to be chaired by the principal, will collect data, review protocols, and recommend infrastructural and procedural reforms to strengthen patient safety mechanisms.
The High Court directed that a comprehensive report outlining required reforms be submitted to the DGME within five weeks. The principal has also been asked to file a personal affidavit detailing the committee’s findings and subsequent action taken. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on March 23, 2026.
