Eight patients at govt. hospital develop allergic reactions, one dies

Eight patients at govt. hospital develop allergic reactions, one dies

The Hindu Bureau

Salem 01.02.2025

Eight patients admitted to the Salem Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital (GMKMCH) developed allergicreactions after they were administered salineto the patients on Thursday night.

While one patient died, hospital authorities denied that the death was caused by the saline.

Doctors injected saline into the patients at around 9 p.m. on Thursday night at the male surgery ward.

By around 11 p.m., eight patients developed allergic reactions and their relatives alerted the doctors.

The hospital’s dean, Dr. J. Devi Meenal, along with a medical team, transferred the affected patients to the Hybrid Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in the super-specialty building for treatment.

The affected patients are Venugopal (40), a resident of Mangalapuram in Namakkal district, Manoj (28), a resident of Nagalur in Dharmapuri district; Manoharan (64), a resident of Erode district, Ramesh (45), a resident of Deevattipatti in Salem district, Rajaram (27), a migrant worker, Anbalagan (40), a resident of Kamalapuram in Salem district, and Murugaesan (54), a resident of Vazhapadi in Salem district.

At midnight, Venugopal died at the hospital.

However, hospital authorities denied that his death was caused by the allergic reaction, stating that he had multiple underlying health conditions.

‘Others stable’

Dr. Devi Meenal assured that the same saline solution had been used on several patients across the hospital and that all other affected individuals remained stable.

Sources at GMKMCH reported that Health Minister Ma. Subramanian inquired about the incident, and doctors were instructed to cease using that specific batch of saline. A pharmacovigilance team will investigate the saline.