Cuttack, Nov. 7: Tension prevailed at the casualty department of SCB Medical College and Hospital following the death of a patient during an MRI test today.
The deceased has been identified as Brajakishore Sahu, 55, a retired assistant engineer from Bidanasi.
Sahu’s relatives alleged medical negligence and reportedly manhandled a laboratory technician at the MRI centre on the regional diagnostic centre premises of the hospital.
Officials of the SCB Medical College police outpost later rescued the technician and deployed force at the casualty department to control the situation.
“We suspect he died because of an overdose of anaesthesia as the person who was operating the machine inside the MRI test room was in an inebriated state,” said Loknath Moharana, a relative of Sahu.
Loknath said Brajakishore was admitted to the old medicine ward on November 3 after he complained of a headache. He was also suffering from hypertension.
Sahu was advised an MRI test as his condition improved following clinical intervention. He was taken for the MRI test around 11.45am today. However, his condition deteriorated soon after anaesthesia was administered to him.
“He was administered anaesthesia for four times. His condition deteriorated because of this overdose and he died,” said Sukanta Moharana, another relative.
The SCB Medical College and Hospital have outsourced the MRI test services on its premises to Calcutta Medical Imaging Institute from 2010.
Officials at the test centre, however, ruled out any kind of overdose of anaesthesia and said that the patient could have died because of a cardiac arrest.
“The patient was irritable and hence anaesthesia was administered under expert supervision to bring him under control,” said radiologist P.K. Das.
Das further said that the patient was suffering from brain haemorrhage and the MRI test was stopped midway after his condition deteriorated. He was rushed to the casualty department for further medical assistance. However, he died on the way to the casualty department around 1.45pm.
