Critically ill patient's blood sample 'goes missing' at LabAid; three-member committee to investigate

A blood sample collected for tests on a critically ill kidney patient at LabAid Hospital in the capital never reached the laboratory, the patient's family has alleged. The patient, Sultana Begum, had blood drawn after her doctor ordered urgent samples for a range of tests, but the sample never made it to the lab. The family learned of the failure only when they went to collect the report at the scheduled time.

According to the family, the sample was collected from Sultana Begum at around 10am on Thursday (5 November), and the report was due that evening. When they arrived to collect it, the hospital authorities told them the blood sample had not been submitted to the laboratory for testing.

The failure has created uncertainty over the patient's next stage of treatment, which was to be decided on the basis of those test results. Relatives have accused the hospital authorities of irresponsibility and negligence. The hospital later said a fresh sample would be collected and the report delivered after testing.

Sultana Begum's son Ershad said: "We paid for the tests on Wednesday. On Thursday morning, blood was taken from my mother. The report was supposed to be given in the evening. But when we went to collect it, they told us her blood sample had not been submitted for testing. When we asked further, they said the sample had been taken but never deposited at the laboratory. Now they say they will take a new sample, test it and give us the report."

"My mother is in a critical condition. Her next treatment was to be determined on the basis of this test report. I cannot understand how such negligence can happen with patients at such a big hospital," Ershad added. He also alleged that after the incident, the hospital contacted the family through various channels and tried to keep the matter from becoming public.

LabAid Hospital's public relations officer, Meher-e-Khoda Dip, said it was "one hundred percent true" that a sample had been collected from the patient. A three-member committee has been formed to investigate why it was not submitted, he said, and the hospital's director has ordered action against anyone found negligent, subject to the investigation report.

The public relations officer added that a fresh sample has since been taken from the patient and put into the machine, and that instructions have been given for the doctor to review the report and provide treatment as soon as it is available.