Uttarakhand: 50 patients at Coronation infected with Hepatitis C

DEHRADUN: An inquiry has been ordered by the administration of state-run Coronation Hospital in the city, after 50 of its patients, receiving dialysis at the hospital’s dialysis unit, were diagnosed with Hepatitis C. The chilling revelation has posed a serious question mark on the quality of treatment and sterilization methods being used at the hospital. While hospital authorities passed the buck to the private agency that has been running its dialysis unit under public-private partnership mode, the private company, claimed innocence.
Dr B C Ramola, chief medical superintendent (CMS) of the hospital, told TOI the problem was identified when a patient receiving dialysis at its privately-run centre, approached him to complain that he had been prescribed costly medicines by doctors at the dialysis centre. “We found that the prescribed medicines, costing around Rs 9,000 per month, were not for nephrological (kidney) issues, but for Hepatitis C (a liver disease). Our curiosity was also aroused because the private doctor had prescribed medicines from outside, when the government gives out Hepatitis C medicines for free. Upon enquiry, it was found that 50 patients undergoing dialysis at the centre have been diagnosed with the infection in the past two months. All of them had got blood tests done at the private centre, whose doctors had subsequently prescribed medicines from outside,” said Dr Ramola. He added that a committee of three senior doctors has been set up to probe the matter, which has to submit its report in three days. A doctor who is part of the committee, on condition of anonymity, told TOI it looks like a case of fraud.
“Either the private centre used infected syringes, apparatus or blood that infected 50 patients, or they are hand-in-gloves with a drug manufacturer that sells Hepatitis C medicine,” he said. He added that a second test done by one of the 50 patients at AIIMS Rishikesh has revealed he was never affected by Hepatitis C. “We’ll interrogate all affected patients and the company’s employees,” he added. Officials of the company when queried denied the allegations, adding they will respond to each point in the administration’s notice within 72 hours. Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by Hepatitis C virus (HCV), which can cause acute and chronic Hepatitis, characterised by mild illness to a serious, lifelong ailment.