Mom-to-be, 23, dies at SMS hospafter blood transfusion goof-up

Jaipur: A 23-year-old pregnant woman, Chaina, from Niwai in Tonk district died late Wednesday in the city's SMS Hospital after allegedly being transfused with the wrong blood type.

This is the third case of wrong blood group transfusion since Feb 2024 at two govt hospitals in the city run by the SMS Medical College, raising serious concerns about patient safety at one of the state's largest govt healthcare facilities.

Chaina was admitted to the hospital on May 12 with severe low haemoglobin levels, pregnancy-related complications and miliary tuberculosis. On May 19, her blood sample was tested and identified as A+. However, the patient reacted abnormally during the transfusion process on May 20, following which the doctors stopped the process. In a subsequent blood test, it was found that her actual blood type was B+.

The transfusion reaction report, a copy of which is with TOI, says Chaina showed alarming symptoms, including haematuria (blood in urine), tachycardia (rapid heart rate), fever and chills, following the transfusion of the wrong blood type.

The doctors had advised blood transfusion as her haemoglobin level was low. According to the report, the sample first sent on May 19 to the blood bank was A+. Following her severe reactions after transfusing it on May 20, another sample of blood from the patient was sent on May 21, which tested as B+.

The report made by the SMS Hospital blood bank after investigating the case also found the "wrong blood in tube" for the sample blood test done on May 19.

Dr Swati Shriwastava, under whose care the woman was hospitalised, denied that the wrong blood type was used. "I was on leave at the time. When I inquired about what happened, the doctors told me that when they started the transfusion, there was a reaction. The patient was already down with miliary TB. She had more complications after intrauterine fetal demise," she said.

Prem Prakash, the patient's brother-in-law, said the family had no knowledge about the wrong blood transfusion. "Before the transfusion, she was at least responding and opening her eyes. After receiving blood, her condition worsened," he said. The tragic event follows a pattern of similar incidents at the SMS Medical College.