Noida: A security guard with no clinical training was filmed filling syringes with injectable medicine at district hospital in Sector 39 and handing them to a staff nurse to administer to patients in the emergency ward.The video, recorded on Aug 14, has triggered an inquiry into how a non-medical employee was allowed to perform a task that requires training and strict medication-safety protocols.The footage shows the guard, deployed on the hospital’s fifth floor, opening medicine ampoules and drawing their contents into syringes at a counter while the nurse stands nearby. Officials said around 15-20 ampoules of ranitidine were prepared this way and administered to patients. Ranitidine is a medicine used to reduce the production of stomach acid and is prescribed for conditions such as acid reflux and peptic ulcers.According to hospital officials, the nurse had been attending to patients during an emergency in the evening and had asked the guard to assist her. The officials said the hospital has been operating with a significant staff shortage. It has 42 permanent doctors, but needs at least 20 more to strengthen departments such as paediatrics, gynaecology, medicine, surgery and orthopaedics. There are also around 60 vacancies for staff nurses, with shortages in other support roles, including contractual ward boys.The gaps, officials said, leave existing personnel stretched, particularly during emergencies when patient load rises.The hospital management, however, clarified that the circumstances — however pressing — did not justify the arrangement. “The nurse was busy attending to some patients in an emergency. So, she asked the guard to help her. However, no matter what the reason was, such action is not acceptable,” said Ashok Kumar Jha, the chief medical superintendent.Jha said the hospital took immediate action after the video came to light and removed staff nurse Richa Kumari and guard Sunil Kumar from duty. Both were outsourced employees. Kumar was deployed through an Aligarh-based private agency, which was also served a notice seeking an explanation.A senior doctor at the hospital said preparing an injection involves more than simply transferring medicine into a syringe. The person must identify the correct drug and dose, open the ampoule safely, prevent contamination and ensure there is no air in the syringe.“Drawing medication from an ampoule into a syringe and preparing it for injection is a clinical procedure that requires training, experience and strict attention to detail,” the doctor said.An error in any of these steps can expose patients to wrong doses, contamination or other potentially serious complications. “A security guard, who is not trained or authorised to perform clinical procedures, should not be involved in preparing syringes or handling injectable medicines under any circumstances,” the doctor clarified.The incident also prompted the hospital to review the role of outsourced workers. “Guards are deployed for security-related duties and are not authorised to undertake clinical responsibilities involving medication preparation or patient treatment,” an official said.“Further action would be taken based on the findings of the inquiry and the response received from the outsourcing agency,” Jha added.
