Wrong patient received a kidney transplant at Ohio hospital, officials say

An Ohio hospital system says two employees are on leave after a kidney was transplanted into the wrong patient, media outlets report.

Cleveland-based University Hospitals said a transplant patient received a kidney intended for another patient on July 2, WEWS reported. A hospital spokesperson said the kidney was compatible with the patient, who is recovering, but another patient’s transplant was delayed, the news outlet reported.

“We are dismayed that an error recently occurred resulting in one patient receiving a kidney intended for another,” University Hospital spokesperson George Stamatis told WEWS.

In a statement to Cleveland.com, the hospital system said “we have offered our sincerest apologies to these patients and their families.”

“We recognize they entrusted us with their care,” the statement said, according to Cleveland.com. “The situation is entirely inconsistent with our commitment to helping patients return to health and live life to the fullest.”

Heather Mekesa, who is the chief operations officer for Lifebanc, the region’s organ procurement organization, said the mistake is extremely rare, WKYC reported.

“This is not the norm. I’d say 99.99% of the time, everything does go well,” Mekesa told WYKC. “In the last two decades this has not occurred in Ohio. This was a very unfortunate and not a great incident to occur but it shouldn’t deter people who want to help others through the gift of organ donation.”

University Hospitals said two employees are on administrative leave during an investigation “carefully reviewing this situation to understand what led to the error and to ensure that such an event will never happen again,” Cleveland.com reported.

Driver choking on baggie of pot saved by trooper’s Heimlich maneuver, Ohio video shows

Bees sting 73-year-old man hundreds of times in deadly attack, Texas sheriff says