Owner of UP hospital, where dengue patient died after platelet transfusion, held

The hospital was sealed after the incident.

The owner of a hospital in Uttar Pradesh - where a dengue patient died following transfusion of platelets - has been arrested, the police said on Saturday. The incident last month had triggered a huge outrage after it was reported.

The hospital was sealed following allegations of transfusing fruit juice instead of blood platelets to a dengue patient.

The 30-year-old patient had died amid allegations of medical negligence at the Global Hospital in Jhalwa area. An inquiry panel had concluded that the patient had died due to transfusion of “poorly-preserved platelets” and not owing to fake or contaminated platelets even as the family had earlier claimed transfusion of fruit juice.

Pappu Sahu, the hospital owner, has been arrested weeks after the incident. “He has been arrested in connection with the case. Efforts are also underway to nab his son and other wanted in connection with the same case,” SSP-Prayagraj Shailesh Kumar Pandey said.

Last week, the matter had reached UP Human Rights Commission, Lucknow, HT had reported, when an Allahabad high court lawyer has filed a complaint with the body. Lawyer Gajendra Singh Yadav, in his complaint to the UP Human Rights Commission, has alleged that platelets were being sold at inflated cost of ₹3,000 to ₹10,000 per unit amidst increasing cases of dengue in the district.

This was a day after CMO-Prayagraj had permanently cancelled the hospital’s registration. “On getting complaint against the Global Hospital, an inquiry committee was constituted. After finding the hospital prima facie guilty of medical negligence, the registration of the hospital was suspended and it was sealed. Now after getting the recommendations of the inquiry committee, the registration of the hospital has been cancelled,” CMO said citing his order, a copy of which is with HT.