Doctor administered drug of food poisoning instead of poisoning

Patna,(BiharTimes): The lone doctor on duty at Masrakh primary health centre in Saran district could never thought that it was a case of poisoning, rather he diagnosed it as the case of food poisoning, which proved fatal.

Dr Abdul Qayum Ansari, who was on duty, conceded that initially he thought that it was the case of diarrhea or food poisoning, so he administered the children an antiemetic drug to stop vomiting though in the case of poisoning the victim should have been allowed to vomit and discharge poison. Had he diagnosed properly some of the children may have been saved.

Another problem was that apart from Dr Ansari there was only two compounders on duty. The two other doctors, Chandrashekar and Dr Savita Singh were not present then. They were, however, asked to come to the duty.

So when at least 38 children were brought to the hospital the lone doctor (Dr Ansari) and two compounders on duty were not in the position to tackle the situation.

Senior doctors say antiemetic is a medicine against vomiting and nausea and is given to children suffering from diarrhoea or food poisoning and not poisoning.

Now the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report has confirmed that the mid-day meal contained monocrotophos, an organophosphorus compound used as insecticide.

“Initially, when five children were rushed to the PHC, I thought they were suffering from diarrhoea. I administered an antiemetic,” Dr Ansari told the media.

“When more children with similar symptoms were brought, I thought it was a case of food poisoning. I continued with the antiemetic. Till then, I had no idea that it was a case of organophosphoros poisoning. When the civil surgeon pointed out the lapse, I immediately administered atropine, which is an antidote given in case of poisoning,” the medical officer added.

But by then it was too late. Some children died while being rushed to Chapra hospital, others while on way to Patna. And worse still, many died even after reaching Patna Medical College and Hospital.

“Administering the antiemetic compounded the problem. When someone has consumed poison, he/she needs to be made to vomit. But if his/her vomiting is stopped forcefully with medicine, chancesare that the poison will spread to the entire body. And this is precisely what happened that day,” said child specialist Dr Nigam Prakash Narayan, one of the child specialists who took care of the affected kids at PMCH.