Woman dies at Andhra Pradesh hospital after blood type transfusion mix-up

A 34-year-old kidney patient died at Kakinada Government General Hospital (GGH) on Wednesday, November 27, after being transfused with the wrong blood type. The incident has raised serious concerns over medical negligence at the hospital.
Bhavana Sirisha, a resident of Palakollu in West Godavari district, was admitted to the hospital on November 4, for advanced treatment for kidney disease she had been battling for the past four years.
During her treatment, doctors recommended a blood transfusion to address her low haemoglobin levels. The required blood type was ‘O positive’.
According to Sirisha’s family, the hospital’s blood bank supplied the necessary blood, but on the evening of Tuesday, November 26, a house surgeon on duty in the Advanced Medical Care Unit mistakenly began transfusing ‘AB positive’ blood instead. Relatives noticed the error and questioned the surgeon, who reportedly dismissed their concerns.
It wasn’t until later when a postgraduate doctor intervened and brought the correct blood group that the transfusion was halted. However, by then, the wrong blood type had already been administered to her, said her family.
Though the ‘AB positive’ blood was immediately removed, Sirisha’s condition deteriorated rapidly. Despite efforts to stabilise her oxygen levels, she passed away on the morning of Wednesday, November 27.
Hospital superintendent Dr. Lavanya Kumari expressed condolences to the grieving family and assured them that a thorough investigation into the incident would be conducted. The matter has also been reported to the state health minister.
The family, while given a government compensation of Rs 3 lakh, demanded accountability for the fatal mistake. Sirisha’s mother, Devadatla Peddintla, called for justice, seeking answers for the lapse that led to her daughter’s death.