NHRC raps Odisha Chief Secretary for forgetting wrongly transfused patients in VIMSAR

Bhubaneswar, Jan 21: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Chief Secretary of Odisha to pay one lakh rupees each as compensation to two victims, who were wrongly transfused HIV blood in 2016, at VIMSAR, Burla and to submit the proof of payment within eight weeks. Acting on a petition, reports of the state authorities and subsequent submissions filed by Lawyer and human rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy the apex human rights panel passed the order recently. Since the Joint Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department stated before the NHRC that payment of the compensation as desired by the Commission has not been disbursed to the victims due to non-availability of their address. Noticing the issue, the NHRC asked the Collectors of Sambalpur and Jharsuguda districts to publish a public notice in local newspapers in favour of the victims for payment of compensation to them. Tripathy alleged that a 70-year-old person hailing from Rairakhol was admitted to the surgery ward of VIMSAR on June 9, 2016. He had undergone operation on June 13, 2016. Similarly, a 60-year-old person of Brajarajnagar was admitted to the hospital on June 12, 2016 for a leg surgery. It was found that infected blood with HIV in this first case and hepatitis in the second case was transfused, due to negligence of the doctors and staff of VIMSAR, Burla, Sambalpur, Odisha. On the basis of the enquiry the contractual data entry operator and the lab technician involved in transfusion of infected blood have been disengaged from their services by the Odisha State AIDS Control Society and State Blood Transfusion Council Odisha respectively. Dr. Rajendra Pattnaik, the medical officer on duty was placed under suspension and disciplinary proceedings U/R 15 of OCS has also been initiated against him. Dr. Susanta Kar the then medical officer in charge of blood bank was also placed under suspension.