After adverse reaction reports, govt hospitals told not to use 8 drugs

Following reports of “adverse reaction”, the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare has ordered to immediately discontinue in all government health facilities across the state the procurement and use of eight drugs manufactured by three firms.

The directions were issued on Friday. Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh said the decision was taken following reports of adverse reaction of the drugs after being administered to patients at some government hospitals.

“We have also sent samples of these for further checks and strict action will be taken against firms if found on the wrong side. We cannot allow anyone to play with innocent lives,” he said.

The discontinued medicines include normal saline (sodium chloride injection IP 0.9%), dextrose injection IP 5% ciprofloxacin injections 200 mg, DNS 0.9%, NI2 dextrose 5% IV fluid and bupivacaine HCL with dextrose injection.

The drugs belong to three pharmaceutical companies and carry a manufacturing date ranging from 2023 to 2025 while the expiry dates vary from September 2026 to April 2028. The crackdown comes days after the Punjab Government banned the sale, distribution and use of Coldrif cough syrup in the wake of 14 children deaths in Madhya Pradesh, reportedly due to the consumption of the contaminated medicine.

“We have recalled the entire stock available under our jurisdiction and have also issued a note to all hospitals directing them to stop administering the same to patients,” said a senior doctor at a government health facility.

However, a day after the orders, not all doctors were aware of it. Several doctors said though a letter was shared in an official social media group, a briefing on this was not done.

As per the standard operating procedure, the head of the departments should have briefed the doctors working directly under their command, ensuring that the stock is not used.

Another doctor posted in Patiala expressed surprise that any such order had been issued. The letter in possession of The Tribune, issued to all civil surgeons and medical superintendents at government hospitals across the state, mentions, “It has come to the notice of this office that suspected cases of adverse drug reactions have been reported from certain health facilities following the use of specific drugs and IV fluids.”

The letter, dated October 10, further states that as a precautionary measure, it has been decided to immediately discontinue the use of the drugs until further orders.

Mata Kaushalya Hospital Medical Superintendent Sanjay Kamra said the letter was shared in the official WhatsApp group and he would check with the senior medical officer “if the stock was frozen” and field staff directed “not to use it”.