Patient Mix-Up Turns Fatal: 71-Year-Old Woman Dies After BHU Doctors Operate On Hip Instead Of Spine

A 71-year-old woman lost her life after being mistakenly operated on at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) trauma centre due to a mix-up of patient identities.

In a case of gross medical negligence, a 71-year-old woman lost her life after being mistakenly operated on at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) trauma centre in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi due to a mix-up of patient identities. Radhika Devi, admitted for spinal tumour surgery, was mistakenly wheeled into the operation theatre on March 7 in place of 82-year-old Radhika Singh, who was scheduled for a hip replacement. In a grave lapse, orthopaedic surgeons began operating on the wrong patient after administering anaesthesia.

The error came to light only after the surgical team failed to identify expected complications at the operative site. By then, the damage had already begun. Once alerted by the nursing staff about the mistaken identity, doctors abruptly halted the procedure, hastily closed the incision, and sent Radhika Devi back to the ward, without informing her family.

Days later, on March 18, she finally underwent surgery for her actual ailment by the neuro department. However, the trauma of multiple procedures and mounting complications proved fatal. Radhika Devi died on March 28, raising serious questions about patient safety and accountability within the institution.

The incident triggered outrage after her grandson, Mrityunjay Pal, filed a formal complaint with the director of the Institute of Medical Sciences, Prof SN Sankhwar. Initially, a four-member inquiry committee was constituted under the same orthopaedic department whose team had performed the erroneous surgery. Following objections, the committee’s chairman was replaced.

Prof Sankhwar stated that the change was made to ensure an unbiased probe, while the trauma centre in-charge, Prof Saurabh Singh, confirmed that a report had been submitted but declined further comment, citing an ongoing investigation.

Hospital records reveal that Radhika Singh was admitted in bed number 17 under orthopaedics, while Radhika Devi was in bed number 29 under the neuro department. Despite this clear distinction, the fatal mix-up occurred, exposing glaring lapses in patient identification protocols.