OGAKI, Gifu -- A local hospital has apologized over a series of medical blunders, two of them fatal, and agreed to pay 120 million yen in compensation.

There were four medical blunders at the Ogaki Municipal Hospital, with two of them fatal, hospital officials admitted. It has reached settlements with the patients who suffered in the aftermath of the mistakes and the bereaved families of the patients who died in the accidents.

"We are taking these (medical blunders) seriously. They should never have happened in the first place. We will strive hard to prevent a recurrence and to reinstall the public's confidence in us," said Takahito Sone, head of the hospital.

A 61-year-old man from Ogaki who underwent an operation to remove his intestines suffered heavy bleeding during the operation and went into a state of shock after the surgery, according to the hospital. However, the hospital did not give him a blood transfusion.

Furthermore, the medical staff mistakenly administered him with an excessive amount of vasopressor, causing the patient to suffer ventricular fibrillation. It took the medical team about 10 minutes to resuscitate him because they didn't have a defibrillator at hand.

The patient eventually died in February last year, about four months after the operation. The hospital has agreed to pay 58 million yen in compensation to the patient's family.

Another male patient in his 50s from Ogaki who underwent intestine surgery in January 2005 suffered blood poisoning due to constriction of the intestines and inflammation of the bile duct after the surgery and was admitted to an intensive care unit.

An examination found that the medical staff rejoined his small intestine upside down. They conducted a second operation to fix it, but the patient still suffers from frequent diarrhea. The hospital has agreed to pay him 20 million yen in compensation.

Another male patient whose immunity had declined following several operations died after he was infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus because the hospital did not render him sufficient postoperative management. The hospital will pay his family 26.5 million yen in compensation.

In the case of a female patient who underwent chemotherapy for cancer, she was left with kidney failure because she was administered with an anti-cancer drug for three straight days even though it was supposed to be administered for only one day. She will be given about 15.5 million yen in compensation by the hospital.

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