‘Fungi’ found in glucose bottle at Ghaziabad govt hospital

Several farmers from Mandola village, who were brought to Sanjay Nagar Combined District Hospital late Tuesday for medical aid, after they called off their hunger strike, have alleged that one of the glucose bottles administered to them had fungi-like foreign bodies.

The district chief medical officer (CMO) has initiated an inquiry.

The farmers have been on a hunger strike for the past 14 days at Mandola village in Loni and had been demanding a hiked compensation for their land acquired for UP Avas Vikas Parishad’s Mandola Housing Scheme.

After the intervention of the district and police officers, the hunger strike was called off and the farmers were sent for immediate medical attention to the government hospital late Tuesday.

“Around 12.30am, we called off the hunger strike and we were taken to Sanjay Nagar government hospital for medical aid. One of the glucose bottles which were administered to me had presence of some fungi-like foreign body — it could clearly be seen floating. We immediately called the staff and district officials also arrived,” Neeraj Tyagi, one of the five farmers brought to the hospital, said.

“The staff did not listen to us. When we asked one of the staff in the morning, they refused to hear our complaint and told us that they will go on strike if we press our demand. Then we sat on a protest at the main gate of the hospital. Later, the staff took away the glucose bottle and we were discharged,” Tyagi said.

Chief medical officer Dr NK Gupta said he has initiated an inquiry into the incident.

“I spoke to farmers and they told us that one of the hospital staff members misbehaved with them. I have ordered an inquiry. There was some impurity in one of the glucose bottles, but it was not administered. I have ordered that the entire lot of the glucose bottles be sent back. We will check the other batch of bottles as well. They will also be replaced if any impurity is found,” Gupta said.