Mourning kin, friends denied spot for protest

Relatives and well-wishers of the 21-year-old girl who allegedly died of a wrong blood transfusion were forced to carry out a vigil at KC College, when police shunted them away from Jaslok Hospital, where the incident occurred

Mourning kin, friends denied spot for protest

Family and friends of Deepti Makhijani, who allegedly died after she was given a wrong blood transfusion, received a rude shock when the police denied them permission to carry out a protest against the authorities of Jaslok Hospital, where the incident took place.

Seeking justice: Deepti's father Narendra Makhijani has filed a
complaint with the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) and is hopeful
that strict action will be taken against the negligent doctors. File pic

Dipesh Tank from Youth for People, a NGO that had helped the Makhijanis, said, "We had requested the police to allow us to conduct a peaceful rally outside Jaslok Hospital, in order to make the public and patients aware that a case like this has occurred in the hospital. But the police refused to give us permission."

Displeased at being denied permission, Tank, along with Deepti's friends and relatives, carried out a candlelight vigil at KC College on Saturday evening. Deepti was an ex-student of the college.

According to Deepti's father Narendra Makhijani, Deepti was given the wrong blood transfusion, which resulted in her death ('Jaslok in the dock', December 11). The aggrieved father had filed a police complaint with the Gamdevi police station last Saturday.
"We have registered a case of negligence against Jaslok Hospital and an inquiry is being carried out," said DCP (Crime) Anil Kumbhare.
The police have registered a complaint under Sections 304 (A)/34 of the IPC, which amounts to death due to negligence. When asked why the family was refused permission to stage a protest, Senior Inspector Sanjay Diwadkar of Gamdevi police station remained unavailable for
comment.

The incident
The episode took place on October 5 when Deepti ufffd who was battling acute myelogenous leukaemia ufffd had checked into the hospital for her second round of chemotherapy.
In course of the transfusion, Deepti had alerted the nurse that she was experiencing acute pain, which her father alleges the attendant ignored.
"When my daughter complained to me that she was experiencing intense pain, I checked the blood bag. To my horror, I noticed that she was being given B positive blood, instead of A positive," said Makhijani, adding that he had filed a complaint with the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC), and was hopeful that strict action would be taken against the negligent doctors.
Makhijani even wrote a complaint to the Medical Director of Jaslok hospital S K Mohanty, who issued an apology letter.