The sorry state of affairs in West Bengal's government hospitals once again came to the fore when a eight-year-old boy was injected a cat-bite antidote instead of his mother at a medical facility on Tuesday.
Renu Devi Shaw was attacked by a cat on Tuesday and received some scratches for the bites. She went to the city's Pasteur Institute with her son for treatment when the child, instead of the mother, was given the antidote.
"I went to hospital for treatment with my son Sonu. A few minutes later, I saw him crying and he told me that he had been given an injection. When I asked the nurse why she did this, she replied that he was sitting near the table where injection is given," said Shaw.
The hospital admitted the goof-up but said the child would not be harmed as the antidote given was in a very small dose.
"The boy was sitting near the injection table and the nurse took him for a patient and gave him the injection. The dose given was 0.1 ml and is not likely to cause any harm," hospital superintendent N. Sikdar said.
Nurse Leela Singharay, who allegedly gave the injection, has been issued a show-cause notice.
Hospitals in the state have been in news for all the wrong reasons. The crib deaths in Malda's district hospital continue unabated with the toll surpassing 100.
Between Oct 25-28 last year, 16 babies died at the B.C. Roy Children's Hospital, the only children's referral hospital in Kolkata. The Burdwan Medical College and Hospital reported 12 infant deaths Oct 27-28.