The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has denied allegations of an antibiotic drug scam, which is suspected to have endangered the lives of patients in civic hospitals last year.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has denied allegations of an antibiotic drug scam, which is suspected to have endangered the lives of patients in civic hospitals last year.
The BMC filed an affidavit in the Bombay High Court on Wednesday, saying its expert team had visited the factories of drug manufacturers in Navi Mumbai and Himachal Pradesh and found that they were not adhering to World Health Organization norms, and, hence, action had been taken against them.
The affidavit was filed in response to a public interest litigation (PIL), which alleged that on August 18, 2014, patients suffered adverse drug reactions after being administered caftriaxone and cefotaxime injections by doctors at Bhabha Hospital. The PIL sought a CBI probe into the alleged scam.
Of the 45 patients, 28 with severe reactions, including one Saira Shaikh, were moved to KEM and Sion hospitals. Shaikh died within 24 hours of the reaction and Food and Drug Administration officials seized her records from KEM hospital, along with seven samples, the PIL said.
However, the civic body refuted allegations of drug reaction. "Though the same syringe was used for dilution or preparation of injection, separate syringes and needles were used while injecting individual patients. Hence, there was no possibility of contamination," its affidavit said.
About Shaikh, the affidavit said she died of dengue. She was treated as a case of sepsis with acute lung injury. Her platelet count at the time of her transfer from Bhabha hospital to KEM was 96,000, which dropped to 43,000 before death.
"The allegation that she should have been given platelet transfusion is not justified because this is generally given only when the platelet count is less than 20,000, which was not the case here," it added.
The affidavit, filed by Dr Pradeep Angre on behalf of the BMC, also said all details of the drugs administered are properly recorded in the hospital's medical stores. However, the indent book in the ward contains only the generic name of the drugs because that's the practice in civic hospitals, it added.
The PIL prayed that a CID probe be ordered and a case registered for negligence against FDA officials, municipal hospitals and pharmaceutical companies.
The HC has given the petitioner four weeks to file a rejoinder.
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