September 18, 2002	Wednesday	Rajab 10, 1423

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RAWALPINDI, Sept 17: The blood transfusion department at the Holy Family Hospital (HFH) has been held responsible for the death of an infant suffering from Thalassemia, sources, quoting an inquiry report, said on Tuesday.

One-and-a-half-year old Aleemur Rehman had died at the hospital after blood transfusion in the last week of July. An inquiry committee had been constituted on the request of the bereaved parents, as they had accused the doctors of negligence in treating their son.

The child had frequently been receiving blood at the centre. However, on the fateful day, he was given blood by a technician in the absence of a doctor. The child developed complications while undergoing transfusion and could not survive.

The inquiry committee, the sources said, had found out that the blood transfusion department was responsible for the incident as the protocols for the transfusion, which required the presence of a doctor, were grossly overlooked. “The committee was of the view that the department acted unethically,” a source said.

Medical Superintendent of Holy Family Hospital, Dr Nisar Cheema, while talking to this reporter, said the negligence of the department’s staff had been identified as the cause of the infant’s death, however the exact responsibility was yet to be fixed.

A source said the inquiry committee had recommended for devolving the department, currently being administered by the Punjab health department, to the hospital’s control so that it could be effectively managed.

“The existing divisional structure of the department has become redundant as the divisions, being administrative unit, have been abolished following last year’s implementation of devolution plan,” a source, quoting the probe committee members, stated.

Describing the dismal state of affairs at the transfusion department of the hospital, the committee, in its report, stated that mandatory Hepatitis B and C, and AIDS screening was being overlooked.

The committee, the sources said, also took up certain other complaints regarding deaths in the gynaecology department because of the mistakes on part of the transfusion department, but the same could not be verified by the body due to lack of evidence.

The sources said the new principal executive officer, Dr Majeed Rajput, immediately after taking over the charge, had issued instructions for making improvement in the blood storage conditions in the transfusion department.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that the bereaved parents had also expressed their lack of confidence in the probe committee while it was investigating the incident.