Chhattisgarh botched operations: Minister confirms rat poison in drugs

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh health minister Amar Agrawal on Sunday confirmed that medicines used during the botched sterilization surgeries that claimed 13 lives and left another 122 women ill in Bilaspur district earlier this month were laced with rat killer poison — zinc phosphide.
READ ALSO: Congress demands CBI probe in Chhattisgarh botched sterilization tragedy
The minister’s statement came four days after TOI reported that a Delhi-based drug laboratory had confirmed the presence of zinc phosphide in the antibiotic, Ciprocin 500, that was administered to women in state-run tubectomy camps at Pendari and Gaurella villages in Bilaspur.The deaths had occurred on November 10 and 11.
The state government had sent drug samples for tests to Kolkata, Nagpur and two labs in Delhi — Shri Ram Lab and National Institute of Immunology. Lab reports from Delhi confirmed the presence of rat poison and traces of toxic materials, including aluminium, in the drugs.
READ ALSO: Botched govt sterilization kills 11 women in Chhattisgarh
Agrawal said the reports from various laboratories had been sent to police for further investigation. State officials said the Delhi lab report also revealed that the content of the main salt, Ciprolfloxacin, in the antibiotic was found to be 300mg, when it should have been 500mg.
The findings have delivered a further jolt to pharma companies Mahawar Pharmaceutical Pvt Ltd, Raipur, and Bilaspur-based Kavita Pharma, whose promoters — Ramesh and Sumit Mahawar, and Rakesh Khare, respectively — have already been arrested. The spurious medicines given to the women during the sterilisation surgeries were allegedly supplied by the two companies. The Chhattisgarh government has suspended the sale and supply of the companies’ products across the state.
Dr RK Gupta, who conducted the marathon sterilisations at Pendari in Takhatpur block, has also been arrested on charges of medical negligence.