Two die by suspected injection reaction at Mayo Hospital

• Shot administered without prior lab testing, hospital sources reveal.
• Use of injection stopped; inquiry committee formed to investigate.
• Prof Dr Israr-ul-Haq leads committee; official notification issued.
  

LAHORE: Another patient affected by a suspected reaction to an injection at Mayo Hospital lost their life, taking the total number of deaths to two.

Earlier, a woman receiving treatment at the facility died and 15 others suffered adverse reactions to an injection administered at the Chest Ward.

Three of the affected patients had been put on ventilators. A hospital spokesperson said that was among the patients on a ventilator.

He said the remaining patients affected by the jab were now out of danger.

Hospital sources revealed that no lab testing was conducted before administering the injection to patients. 

In response to the incident, the hospital administration halted the use of the injection and formed an inquiry committee to investigate the matter.

A notification has been issued for the appointment of Professor Dr Israr-ul-Haq as the head of the inquiry committee. 

The committee also includes the chief pharmacist, deputy nursing officer, and AMS of the hospital. Meanwhile, the hospital administration has directed that all remaining stock of the injection be immediately returned to the pharmacy.

The hospital clarified that the injection was not expired and had been supplied through the Punjab government in 2024.

Taking notice of the matter, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz sought a report from the specialised healthcare secretary and offered condolences to the bereaved families.

She also ordered the provision of the best medical treatment of the affectees and action against those responsible for negligence.

It may be noted that Punjab CM Maryam had recently taken an action against mismanagement at Mayo Hospital Lahore.

As per a report published in The News, Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique said that despite the fact that the facility had ample stock of syringes, bernals and other disposables, patients were being asked medicines from outside the hospital. 

Moreover, the pathology lab had all kinds of test facilities, but patients were being asked to get tested from outside.

Mayo Hospital had its own budget of one and a half billion rupees. The Department of Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education purchased additional medicines worth Rs220 million from its top-up stock for Mayo Hospital. The Health Department on Saturday again gave Rs340 million to Mayo Hospital for medicine purchase.

The hospital had 150 million rupees in UHI and 190 million rupees in PLA account, despite which medicines were not purchased. Mayo Hospital chief executive officer Prof Ahsan Noman and medical superintendent Prof Faisal Masood were removed from their posts due to their incompetence. 

"Not even one percent negligence in the treatment of patients will be tolerated in any government hospital," the minister said. 

Punjab Health Minister Salman Rafique, speaking to Geo News, attributed it to human error. He explained that the injection was in powder form, and a mistake was made while preparing the solution.

According to Rafique, the affected patients had received a third dose, while the first two doses had not caused any adverse reactions.

The minister revealed that a stock of 6,000 injections had been supplied to the hospital and administered across different departments. However, the adverse reaction was reported only in the chest ward.

Rafique said that the report on the powder would be available by the evening, while the report on the solution would be released the following day.

He further disclosed that the same injection had also been distributed to various hospitals in Lahore as well as Narowal.

The minister emphasised that nurses are trained to prepare antibiotics, but strict action will be taken against those responsible once the investigation report is finalised.

The Punjab health minister said that there was an adequate stock of medicines available at Mayo Hospital. However, he attributed the failure to deliver medicines to patients to the inefficiency of the hospital’s medical superintendent.

Rafique further revealed that around 400 new nurses had recently been recruited, with more hiring currently underway at Mayo Hospital.

Regarding the incident, he mentioned that only two nurses were on duty in the affected ward at the time. He confirmed that the error in preparing the solution was made by these nurses.

— Thumbnail image by Reuters