A nurse at Mayiladuthurai General Hospital has been suspended for allegedly reusing syringes while administering injections to patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). The suspension follows a viral video recorded by V. Hariharan, a YouTuber from Akkur, which captured the nurse’s actions.
Hariharan brought his mother, Kalyani, aged 58, to the hospital on 27 September 2024 for treatment of chest pain, where she was admitted to the ICU. On 30 September 2024, observing the treatment process, he noticed several nurses reusing syringes. Concerned for patient safety, he recorded a nurse reusing a syringe on his mobile phone.
In the video, when Hariharan confronted a nurse about reusing a a syringe, she admitted on camera that she was loading 5 ml of medication into it. Still, she was only injecting 1 ml into each patient. Despite his complaints to the nursing superintendent regarding the unsafe practice, no immediate action was taken against the nurse.
Frustrated with the lack of response from hospital authorities and witnessing further incidents of syringe reuse, Hariharan posted the video on social media on Tuesday. Speaking to the press, he explained that his mother had informed him about the nurses reusing syringes, prompting him to verify the claims himself. He expressed his disappointment with the nursing staff, saying they rebuked his mother for his recording.
Following the video’s online circulation, Hariharan also filed formal complaints with the hospital’s chief medical officer and the joint director of health services. This prompted an investigation by health officials, leading to the nurse’s suspension. District Collector A.P. Mahabharathi confirmed that after an initial investigation, the decision was made to suspend the nurse and emphasized the need for strict disciplinary action against any healthcare staff engaging in similar negligent practices.
In a statement, Collector Mahabharathi urged nurses and other healthcare professionals to adhere to safety protocols and warned of severe consequences for those found guilty of compromising patient safety. Meanwhile, Hariharan’s mother was discharged on 1 October 2024.
Hariharan also stated that the patients who were administered medicines with the same syringe were only tested for HIV and not for other viruses like Hep B, C, HPV, and Herpes Simplex – if infected, the treatment will not be effective. He stated that because of the nurse’s callous attitude and mistakes, these diseases can infect the patients and has written a letter to the CMO that if his mother is tested and found to be infected with any of the viruses in 3 months, the hospital will be responsible.
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