Rajasthan government today informed the Assembly that medicines manufactured by a Himachal Pradesh-based pharmaceutical company has been banned in the state as the firm "supplied injections with wrong labels".
Replying to a question by Congress legislator and Whip Govind Singh Dotasara during the Question Hour, Rajasthan Health Minister Rajendra Rathore informed the House that injections manufactured by the company had wrong "for animal use only" label on the vials.
The injections were administered to patients in MDM Government Hospital in Jodhpur in June.
The minister said the drug controller of Himachal Pradesh had recently informed the state government that the company manufactures medicines for human consumption only and it was a case of mislabeling.
He said doctors have said that the injection is used for humans, but on the vials it was wrongly labeled as "for use of animals".
He said it was a case of mislabeling and negligence on part of the staff and the government had taken action in this regard.
Pharmacists Hamid Hassan and Ganpatlal and first grade nurse Chanddan Detha have been suspended. Second grade nurse Jitendra Rathore has been transferred. The pharmacist of the counter from where the injections were issued was also transferred, he said.
Besides, notices were issued to the nursing in-charge of the wards where the injections were administered. The medicines were procured locally in Jodhpur and the licence of the distributor has also been cancelled, he said.
It was administered to 155 patients and a committee constituted by the state government examined side effects of the injections, if any, he added.
Other Congress MLA Pradhyumn Singh asked the government to blacklist the company in the state and the demand was supported by ruling party legislator Narpat Singh who expressed grave concern over such negligence in the medical sector and said it was a sensitive issue.
