3-Year-Old Blood Cancer Patient Dies After Being Administered Formalin Instead Of Medicine At AIIMS-Bhopal, 2 Booked
A 3-year-old child undergoing treatment for blood cancer at AIIMS Bhopal died after being allegedly injected with formalin instead of medicine. An inquiry found a toxic chemical was mistakenly administered, leading to his death. The internal report held two nurses responsible, and police have registered cases under negligence and unsafe handling charges. Investigation is ongoing.
File Photo
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A 3-year-old child undergoing treatment for blood cancer at AIIMS Bhopal died after allegedly being injected with formalin instead of medicine due to serious negligence by hospital staff.
An internal investigation found that the wrong chemical was administered to the child, leading to his death.
The victim was identified as Sarthak Yadav, a resident of Kaurja village in Bina tehsil of Sagar district.
He was suffering from a type of blood cancer called B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. He was admitted to the pediatric ward of AIIMS Bhopal on December 15, 2025.
According to the inquiry report, formalin - a toxic chemical used to preserve biopsy samples and dead bodies - had been filled in a syringe and left near the patient’s bed by nursing officer Anuka Gujarati, violating hospital safety protocols.
On the morning of December 17, the child’s IV line became blocked. Nursing officer Madhubala Sharma allegedly picked up the unlabeled syringe without verifying its contents and injected it into the child’s vein.
Family members said Sarthak’s father warned the nurse three times that the syringe did not contain medicine, but his concerns were ignored.
Soon after the injection, the child’s condition deteriorated rapidly and he became unconscious.
He was shifted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), where doctors performed CPR and other emergency procedures. However, he was declared dead at 8:45 am.
The AIIMS internal inquiry committee concluded that the direct cause of death was the entry of formalin into the bloodstream. The report held the nursing staff responsible for gross negligence.
Based on the investigation report, Bagsewania police registered cases against both nurses on June 11.
Madhubala Sharma has been booked under Section 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for causing death by negligence, while Anuka Gujarati has been charged under Section 286 for unsafe handling and storage of a hazardous chemical.
Police said the investigation is ongoing.
RECENT STORIES
-
-
-
-
-