Four infants fell ill and one died on Monday allegedly after they were administered antibiotics at LNJP Hospital.
The hospital refused to attribute the death to the adverse reaction of the medicine, but it set up a committee under the nursing superintendent to probe a lapse, if there was any, during the administration of the drug.
Dr. J.C. Passey, the medical superintendent of LNJP Hospital, said the preliminary inquiry suggests the antibiotics, which are available in dry powered form, were mixed with normal saline before being injected in small doses.
“As per the protocol, the leftover dose of the antibiotic is supposed to be discarded, but in these cases probably the leftover part was administered with the next dose which may have led to this reaction,” Dr. Passey said. He, however, denied the death of a baby due to the reaction.
Report on Monday
“The panel set up to probe the death will submit its report on Monday,” said Dr. Passey.
Sources said that Dr. Passey was called to the Health Department where he briefed the secretary of Health Minister Satyendar Jain about the incident. Doctors said one of the four babies is still on ventilator, while the condition of the other three is stable.
