Jaipur: The family of a 75-year-old woman is demanding justice after she was given the wrong blood type at the PBM Hospital in Bikaner. Bhawari Devi, who was admitted for treatment, received a B positive transfusion instead of her actual A positive type on Dec 17. The incident has raised questions about patient safety and accountability within the govt-run hospitals. “My grandmother was victim of serious negligence by the hospital staff,” the woman’s grandson, Govind Kumar, recounted the harrowing experience to TOI Saturday. “I was present during the transfusion and saw my grandmother quickly deteriorate. She felt unconscious and had trouble breathing. It was a scene that no family should have to witness in a hospital,” Kumar added, expressing his frustration at the lack of accountability displayed by the hospital staff. “There was confusion about the blood type because there was another patient with a similar name,” Kumar said. The family’s anguish turned to anger when it learned of the hospital’s response to the incident. Following an internal investigation, the SP Medical College, which supervises PBM Hospital, simply reassigned the positions of two resident doctors, two nurses, and a lab technician found guilty of the life-threatening error. Critics, including Ved Vyas, a family friend and Bikaner district BJP office-bearer, argue that these internal relocations do not constitute an adequate punishment for such a grave mistake. “Transferring staff is not a punishment; it is a slap on the wrist,” Vyas said. “What message does this send about accountability in our healthcare system? The safety of patients is at stake, and yet the hospital’s management seems more concerned with covering up than addressing this serious negligence.” Family members are calling for stricter disciplinary action, highlighting that the erroneous transfusion could have turned fatal if they hadn’t intervened in time. The lack of adequate repercussions for those responsible sends a chilling message to both healthcare professionals and patients alike. The family is demanding justice and accountability as health authorities are urged to reconsider the gravity of this incident in hopes of preventing such errors in the future.
