In a shocking case of medical negligence, three hospitals in Mumbai have been found guilty of reusing medical devices meant for single use. What adds to the shame is the fact that they are also charging multiple patients for the same.
The state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a whip to the three hospitals namely – Fortis Hospital in Mulund, Hiranandani Hospital in Vashi, and BSES Hospital in Andheri. As per a report in the Times of India, all the three hospitals have been issued show-cause notices after the FDA’s intelligence branch did the investigation into the case. BSES, reportedly, did not charge the second users.
The hospitals did not even inform the patients that they were using recycled products on them. The FDA team conducted its searches on medical devices like guiding catheters and balloon catheters that are in medical procedure angioplasty which is done to remove blockages in arteries.
The FDA team also found that there was a gap of up to four times between the device’s purchase price for hospitals and the rate that they were charging for using it on the patients. These products, however, were sent to the central sterile supply department to be cleaned and sterilised using ethylene oxide.
As per the report, medical devices meant for 45 patients were re-used by Fortis Hospital and used 66 times between January and March which means the devices were used 11 times more. During the same time frame, Hiranandani-Fortis also used drug notified medical devices 44 times, re-using them for 27 patients. BSES Hospital re-used 95 devices that were meant for 69 patients.
Since the FDA raids, the hospitals have stopped reusing the products.
