Calcutta High Court Takes Cognisance Of Crumbling Health Facility In West Bengal

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court is set to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) on Thursday, requesting a CBI investigation into the death of a woman at a government hospital, allegedly caused by the administration of expired intravenous fluid.

A petitioner has approached a division bench led by Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam, seeking the formation of a special investigation team to probe allegations of contaminated or expired intravenous fluid being used at Medinipur Medical College and Hospital in West Bengal.

The petitioner’s counsel, Phiroze Edulji, informed the court that the supplier of the intravenous fluid had been flagged by another state government in March 2024 and barred from operations for three years.

Edulji also requested that the investigation be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from the West Bengal Police to ensure fairness and transparency.

The bench, which also includes Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, scheduled the matter for hearing on Thursday. The court instructed Edulji to inform the state Advocate General’s office to ensure the West Bengal government is represented during the hearing.

Expired IV Fluid Suspected in Maternity Death; 13-Member Probe Panel Formed

A woman lost her life, and four others are critically ill after childbirth at a hospital, reportedly due to expired intravenous fluid. The health department has launched an investigation, and the state government has set up a 13-member panel to probe the incident.

Three of the four affected women were transferred to Kolkata on Sunday night and admitted to the state-run SSKM Hospital for further treatment.

The deceased woman's family has filed a police complaint, holding the hospital authorities accountable for her death.

(With PTI inputs)