6 Jodhpur deaths may be due to other causes: Panel

Thirteen women died since February 13 after being administered allegedly contaminated IV fluids. After ruling out other possible causes of death,including equipment and procedural lapses,hospital authorities tested the IV fluids administered to all 13 patients.

Dr R K Aseri,principal controller of S N Medical College,which is attached to Umaid Hospital,had said they had tested some samples of IV fluids and “found that it was contaminated with gram negative and gram positive bacteria. The bacteria were identified as pseudomonas bacteria.”

The government then constituted a two-member committee from Jaipur’s SMS Hospital that included microbiologist Dr R K Maheshwari and gynaecologist Dr V S Meena.

This committee is one among six investigation agencies,including the police,the drugs control organisation,the divisional commissioner,a committee from Umaid Hospital and a committee from the Union Health Ministry.

The report says some of the women might have succumbed to a pre-existing medical condition. Mukesh Sharma,secretary,medical education,said,“According to the report,contaminated IV fluids was the most probable cause of the deaths. However,we believe of the 13 patients,six died due to pre-existing medical conditions and natural causes.”

Dr Maheshwari said looking at the speed with which the victims were infected and died,bacterial infection was the most probable cause. “From the speed with which victims were affected and died,it could be bacterial infection since pseudomonas when injected directly into the blood stream can cause rapid death,” he said.