Fungi found in saline bottle at Kolkata's National Medical College

Fungal contamination has been detected in a saline bottle at National Medical College in Kolkata, creating fresh concerns about patient safety. On Sunday night, junior doctors in the maternity ward found visible white particles inside a bottle of Ringer's Lactate saline. The saline was reportedly from a new batch supplied by a recently contracted company. Hospital authorities have yet to issue a formal response regarding the incident.

This discovery follows the state government’s ban on saline manufactured by 'West Bengal Pharmaceuticals' after reports of contamination at Medinipur Medical College. There, saline contamination reportedly caused severe health complications, prompting an FIR against six doctors for alleged lapses. The new supplier was contracted to replace the banned company, but concerns have now arisen over the quality of the replacement products.

Junior doctors have isolated the contaminated saline bottle for further investigation. The presence of fungal particles in essential medical supplies has raised questions about quality control processes, particularly in critical departments such as maternity wards. Authorities are expected to initiate a detailed investigation to address the matter and ensure the safety of future supplies.