Karnataka's Demand for a Probe into Maternal Deaths Unveils Pharmaceutical Quality Concerns

The Karnataka government has urged the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to investigate a West Bengal-based pharmaceutical company, Paschim Banga Pharmaceuticals, following maternal deaths in Ballari district. Suspicions over the quality of Ringer Lactate solution supplied by the company have led to an intense probe, with several batch tests failing to meet standards.

The Karnataka government has formally called upon the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to scrutinize Paschim Banga Pharmaceuticals, a company based in West Bengal, over possible links to recent maternal deaths in Ballari district. The Ringer Lactate solution, supplied by the firm, is suspected of being substandard.

Health Principal Secretary, Harsh Gupta, highlighted in a letter to the DCGI that several batches of the Ringer Lactate solution were dispatched by the company to the Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Limited for distribution in government hospitals. These batches had previously failed quality tests, raising further concerns.

Following the maternal fatalities, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ordered both the suspension of the state drugs controller and a crackdown on the company. As efforts to determine the cause of death intensify, the state's health officials continue to appraise the quality of the medical supplies involved.

(With inputs from agencies.)