HEPATITIS B OUTBREAK IN GUJARAT- TWO DOCTORS REUSED CONTAMINATED SYRINGES
Two docs held for hepatitis outbreak. 38 People killed up to now
Modasa: A father and son, both doctors who ran a private clinic which recklessly used the same syringe to give injections to multiple patients, have been arrested for causing the tragic outbreak of Hepatitis-B in the north Gujarat town of Modasa. So far 38 people have died since the outbreak two weeks ago.
For the first time after the deaths were reported from the town, police brought criminal charges against the two doctors — Dr Govind Patel and his son Dr Chintan Patel — on Saturday. They face the serious charge of ‘culpable homicide not amounting to murder’. Earlier, seven doctors from the town had been accused of violating the Medical Practitioners Act.
Investigations by the state health department had revealed that a large number of people who were struck by the virus and eventually died, were treated by the two doctors. ‘‘Health officials have mentioned in their complaint that the two doctors were using the same syringe for multiple patients and their clinic did not have a proper biological waste disposal,’’ said K K Mysorewala, Dy SP of Sabarkantha district.
Police said the clinic of the two doctors was opposite the primary health centre in Modasa. The arrests came after Arjunsinh Bhati, the Modasa circle health officer, filed a complaint against the two doctors.
According to the district health office, 12 more people have been infected by the virus in new cases reported at various hospitals.
Woman delivers, dies of hepatitis-B
He is just three days old and is being called a ‘miracle’ amid death and despair in Modasa. His mother, Kokila Raval (28), died of hepatitis-B hours after giving birth to him. In all her agony, it was almost as if the boy was destined to live. After three days in the incubator, the prematurely-born boy is being breast-fed by his aunt Sudha Raval, who gave birth to a daughter just six months back. ‘‘There are chances of the baby being infected by the virus. We will have to keep a close watch because hepatitis-B virus takes a period of 90-180 days to manifest,’’ said Dr Mahendra Patel who treated the baby. Kokila, who used to work with the health department in Modasa, probably caught the infection while serving at the hospital.
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