Cuttack: In an extreme case of medical negligence, an elderly man became critical after he was allegedly administered the wrong blood group at a private hospital in Cuttack district of Odisha on Tuesday. The patient, identified as Bibhuti Bhusan Jena (74) of Jhola Sahi, is currently in the ICU undergoing treatment.

As per reports, Jena had been hospitalised following a stroke after his haemoglobin level dropped. Family members said blood was arranged from the bank in the first phase but when the need for more transfusion arose, doctors asked them to go to the Central Red Cross Blood Bank for ‘A’ positive blood unit. However, minutes after the blood transfusion, Jena's condition deteriorated so much so that he was rushed to the ICU. When the blood was later verified at a private lab, it turned out to be 'B' positive instead of 'A' positive. What's worse, the patient's kin claimed that the pouch had 'A' positive written on it while it had the wrong blood type inside.

"My father had recently suffered a stroke. As his haemoglobin dropped to 6, he was hospitalised. Doctors asked us to arrange blood which we initially did from a bank. But as that did not suffice, I went to the Red Cross blood bank and asked for 'A' positive blood unit. They asked for a sample which I did not have then. So I went back and came again with blood sample. The rEd Cross staff then did the cross matching of samples and handed me the blood unit. However, as soon as the transfusion was underway, my father started having rigours and became pale. His pulse dropped and he had to be rushed to the ICU. As I am a pharmacist, I suspected something was amiss and called a friend to verify the blood at a private lab which, to our dismay, turned out to be the wrong type, i.e, 'B' positive," said Jena's son.

"After the matter came to the fore, the Red Cross staff asked me to fill a form and hand over the pouch while taking a sample from it, which they will cross match. But I will not hand over the pouch as it is the only proof I have, It has 'A' positive written on it but had 'B' positive blood type inside. Such negligence is appalling and nearly cost my father his life," he further added while taking to mediapersons.

Meanwhile, Director of the Central Red Cross Blood Bank said they are probing the issue and further details will be shared after the doctor treating the patient gives his report.