Mamata Banerjee suspends 12 doctors at Midnapore hospital over woman's death due to 'expired' saline

One woman died and five others fell ill after the 'expired' saline was allegedly administered.

"Doctors who were not vigilant even after being on duty and left the trainee with the responsibility of cesarean are answerable to people... We are suspending 12 doctors after receiving two reports by the chief secretary and health secretary," said the chief minister at her office Nabanna.

"I am compassionate towards doctors but I don't care about criticisms for acting tough when there is any injustice," said the chief minister, who also holds the health ministry. 

The suspended doctors include the medical superintendent and MSVP, RMO, head of the department, one senior resident and six postgraduate students.

A First Information Report (FIR) will be filed against the doctors and the probe will continue.

The CM said her government will offer Rs. 5 lakh and a government to the family of the deceased as compensation.

Mamoni Rui Das, 21, died two days after delivering the baby.

The victim's family claimed Das vomited after she was administered saline.

According to a report by The Indian Express, a primary report that reached the state health office indicated the saline may have caused an allergic reaction that led to the deterioration of Das' condition.

The tragic incident rekindled the memory of four maternal deaths in Karnataka last year over the use of "defective" Ringer's Lactated (RL) saline related to a particular firm.

Soon after the Karnataka tragedy, the West Bengal health department had reportedly banned the use of the saline from the particular firm which was linked to what had happened in the southern state.