Rs 10.25 Lakh Payout Ordered Over Fatal Blood Transfusion Errors

A Himachal Pradesh Consumer Commission has mandated a payout exceeding Rs 10.25 lakh to the family of a woman who passed away after complications arose from a blood transfusion during knee replacement surgery. The private nursing home where the procedure took place was found responsible for medical negligence.

The commission highlighted a significant failure in maintaining the blood unit, which was reportedly kept for over 22 hours without appropriate storage conditions. This delay and improper handling are central to the negligence claim.

The woman had undergone a left total knee replacement on March 23, 2023. A unit of packed red blood cells was issued by a blood centre on March 23, 2023, and handed to the nursing home the same day. It was transfused approximately 22 hours later.

Records indicated the blood centre advised storage between 2 to 6 degrees Celsius and transfusion within four hours of issue. The nursing home denied negligence, but the commission found discrepancies in transfusion records and noted a non-functional temperature monitor on the refrigerator.

Following her condition's deterioration on March 25, 2023, she was transferred to Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, where she died on March 28, 2023, from severe sepsis and related complications, with suspected transfusion-related acute lung injury.

The commission exonerated the blood centre and other medical facilities, placing liability solely on the nursing home for its failure to adhere to standard procedures and maintain accurate records. The nursing home was ordered to pay Rs 10 lakh compensation, Rs 25,000 for litigation costs, and a Rs 50,000 punitive fine.