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Improper handling of 'Formalin' causes unrest at Valley Hospital; "Situation under control," management

Late last night, chatters started coming out of Valley Hospital in Meherpur, Silchar. Several individuals said the staff and patients in the COVID ward have fallen sick due to a chemical reaction. The eyewitnesses said, patients, cleaning and nursing staff started feeling breathless following which they were immediately rushed out to another cabin in the private nursing home.

Soon it was confirmed that improper handling of formalin caused the unrest. The management of the hospital informed that two patients succumbed at the COVID ward yesterday. As a protocol, Formalin is injected into the dead body before packing it with three layers of plastic.

For the benefit of the readers, Formalin is the name for saturated (37%) formaldehyde solution. Formaldehyde works to stiffen the tissue to slow down the decaying process.

“After packing the dead body, the bottle of Formalin accidentally slipped from the staff’s hand and some chemical spilled out. As the COVID ward is an isolated air-conditioned room, the essence immediately caused a little issue. But the situation is under control and there is nothing to worry about,” said the superintendent in-charge of the hospital while talking to our correspondent at around 12:00 midnight.

A member of the board of directors and a stakeholder in the hospital, Lakhipur MLA, Rajdeep Goala said he has been briefed about the incident. “It is not that big a matter as it is made to be,” said Goala.

Reiterating the superintendent, he said, “Please do not believe in rumours, the solution did not spread in the entire hospital. It was just in one of the rooms inside the COVID ward.”

Goala said that misinformation is spreading thick and fast which is “worrisome” especially for patients and their attendants, he said.

Feeling sick and breathless are the common repercussions of touching or breathing in Formalin. Other symptoms include soreness, itchy, or burning eyes, nose, or throat; skin rash, chest tightness, coughing.

Though the management played it down, sources inside the hospital told us that at least four individuals were rushed to provide medical attention. “It caused a lot of panic. Many things had to be reorganised within minutes. The smell is gone now, but the staff who fell ill are still under observation,” said an official inside the hospital.

Sources close to the development refused to buy the “Formalin slipped from hand theory.” They alleged that the staff inside the COVID ward started sanitising the room with Formalin instead of sanitiser and that left the staff and patients inside the COVID ward running short of breath.

“After two patients died, the staff inside Valley Hospital started panicking. They started sanitising the wards. Why would they pack a deadbody using Formalin at the ward itself in the presence of other patients? Now they are making excuses. Two patients screamed and started complaining of burning eyes, that is when the management realised something is wrong. They were immediately rushed out to a different zone,” said a source close to the development.

The superintendent in-charge rubbished the claims and defined them as misinformation. He informed that currently there are 16 patients in the COVID ward of Valley Hospital. “All patients were not relocated, only a few from one room were shifted. We have even moved them back after the room was cleaned,” added the superintendent in charge.

Cachar district administration said it will look into the matter.

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