Patients fed phenyl in Amravati government hospital

At least seven women fell sick after being administered phenyl instead of vitamin tonic in the maternity ward of the District Women’s Hospital in Amravati, media reports said.

An attendant had given the phenyl to the patients, supposedly kept in an old tonic bottle, after being instructed by a nurse, reports said. Despite being objecting to the smell, they were virtually force fed the phenyl and immediately fell ill.

Some patients started vomiting immediately after consuming the phenolic cleaner, given by attendant Shobha Ingle.

Their condition improved over time, but they were not able to feed their newborns for at least 5 hours after falling ill, hospital officials were quoted as saying.

No arrests have been made so far, but a case with the local police has been registered.