Jaipur:
A 23-year-old pregnant woman from Niwai town in Tonk district died at Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital in Jaipur on Wednesday, allegedly after being administered mismatched blood during a transfusion. This is the third such reported incident at a Rajasthan government hospital since early last year.
The victim, identified as Chaina, had been admitted on May 12 with severe miliary tuberculosis, critically low haemoglobin, and other pregnancy-related complications. A request for blood was made on May 19, reportedly stating her blood group as A+, and the transfusion was carried out the next day.
Error Revealed After Reaction
Medical sources say confusion arose when a subsequent blood sample sent to the hospital’s blood bank indicated her actual blood group was B+. A transfusion reaction report reviewed by The Times of India confirmed Chaina developed fever, chills, haematuria, and tachycardia—classic symptoms of a mismatched transfusion.
Despite this, Dr. Swati Shriwastava, the attending physician, denied any mismatch, stating, “I was on leave at the time. I was told the patient reacted when the transfusion began. She was already critical due to TB and had complications following an intrauterine fetal demise.”
Family Alleges Lack of Transparency
Chaina’s family, however, claimed they were not informed of any error in the transfusion.
“We had no knowledge about the wrong blood transfusion,” said Prem Prakash, her brother-in-law.
The hospital has yet to confirm whether an official investigation has been launched.
Pattern of Negligence
This marks the third reported case of suspected transfusion error at a Rajasthan government hospital in just over a year:
- In February 2024, a 23-year-old man died following a similar alleged mismatch at SMS Hospital.
- In 2023, a 10-year-old boy reportedly died at JK Lon Hospital, Jaipur, due to complications from a suspected mismatched transfusion.
The incidents have reignited concerns over systemic lapses in blood transfusion procedures and lack of safeguards in the state’s public healthcare infrastructure.
