Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Feb 21: The Karnataka government has formally requested assistance from the Union health ministry to combat the sale of contaminated drugs within the state.

In a letter addressed to Union health minister J.P. Nadda on Friday, Karnataka's Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao urged swift action to withdraw drugs that have failed quality tests and to prevent their further distribution across the country.

In his letter, Minister Rao highlighted the ongoing issue of contaminated injectable drugs being sold in Karnataka, stressing the serious risks posed to patients. "I am writing to bring to your attention the repeated instances of the sale of contaminated injectable drugs manufactured in other states," Rao wrote.

"Between January 1 and February 16, nine injectable drugs manufactured in other states failed sterility testing in our state government laboratories. The details of the drugs, along with batch numbers, are provided in the annexure to this letter," he added.

Rao also pointed out that the list of failed drugs does not include several injectables produced by Paschim Banga Pharmaceuticals, based in West Bengal, whose contaminated products were responsible for the deaths of five young mothers in Ballari district.

"While I am instructing my department to take adequate steps to ensure these drugs are no longer sold within Karnataka, it is highly likely that other contaminated drugs manufactured by these companies are being sold in other states in India. Injectables, as you are aware, are used in acute care and therefore are high-risk to patients," Rao noted.

The minister urged the Union Health Ministry to take immediate action, calling for the withdrawal of all products manufactured by the companies involved. "Given the ‘life or death’ consequences for patients being administered these contaminated drugs, I request you to use your good offices to ensure that all products sold by these companies are withdrawn from the market across India," he said. "These companies should not be allowed to sell any more drugs until they are inspected by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)," the minister added

Additionally, minister Rao proposed the establishment of a system that would facilitate the sharing of alerts between all states and central laboratories regarding drugs that fail quality testing. "In addition to sharing alerts with each other, there should also be a legal requirement to share sales records from the manufacturer to enable seizure of the contaminated drugs from the supply chain before they are dispensed to patients," he suggested.

Rao also emphasised the importance of developing a mechanism to alert healthcare professionals and patients about drugs that have failed safety tests. "My department would be glad to assist in this regard," he added, expressing hope that the Union Ministry would take prompt action.

The Karnataka government's appeal follows a series of alarming incidents involving contaminated drugs, which have raised serious concerns over patient safety. The state now awaits a response from the Union Health Ministry to address the issue and protect public health across the country.