Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao.
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: After finding that 22 batches of IV solution supplied by a West Bengal-based firm were of substandard quality, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Wednesday instructed the drug control officials to register a case against the firm.
This is the same firm whose Ringer's Lactate solution was allegedly found to have led to four maternal deaths at the Ballari district hospital in November.
Officials present in the meeting at the Vikasa Soudha informed him that out of the 22 batches that the State Drug Control department identified as failing in several safety parameters, the firm has approached the Central Drugs Laboratory questioning the report of 13 batches, and the latter has reported that four batches are of good quality.
A report regarding the 13 batches is awaited from the laboratory. Gundu Rao then questioned officials if the company could not be prosecuted for the remaining nine batches.
He asked the State Drugs Control officers why there were discrepancies in the reporting of the standard of several batches of the solutions between the Centre and the State departments and instructed them to investigate the matter, besides conducting timely testing of drugs.
He also enquired about the action taken after testing reports reveal substandard quality of drugs and demanded an explanation about the delay in providing test reports.