Blood-stained surgical gloves found in sealed boxes at RG Kar hospital; probe on

The state health department’s central medical supplies department said it would investigate the matter

Blood stains were allegedly found in a few sets of fresh surgical gloves at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata prompting the state health department to order a probe on Thursday.

Multiple gloves in the freshly opened box had similar stains. (Representative file photo)

The incident came to light when an intern, while attending an HIV patient at the hospital’s trauma care centre, took out a pair of fresh surgical gloves from a box kept in the cabinet.

“The moment I took out a pair of gloves from the box, I found reddish stains on them. I thought somebody might have mistakenly kept used gloves inside the box and took out a second pair. Even they had the same blood-like stains. Multiple gloves in the freshly opened box had similar stains. They appeared to blood-stains. But this can be verified only after a thorough examination,” an intern at the hospital told media persons.

Responding to the allegations, NS Nigam, state health secretary told HT that an inquiry has been ordered.

“We have received such complaints. An inquiry has been ordered. The lot (boxes of gloves) has been changed. Other boxes were also checked. They were fine. The box was sealed and removed. It is being looked into by the forensic department to ascertain whether those were blood stains,” Nigam told HT.

Junior doctors from various state-run medical colleges and hospitals in West Bengal have been protesting since August 9 over the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor. They have raised a set of ten demands related to increasing security in hospitals and strengthening hospital infrastructure for better treatment of patients.