Ballari Maternal Deaths: Paschim Banga Restricted From Manufacturing Ringer Lactate IV Fluid, Says Karnataka Health Minister

Over the past few days, as many as five lactating mothers died at the Ballari government hospital in Karnataka.

Bengaluru: Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundurao on Tuesday said the Paschim Banga company has been restricted from manufacturing the ringer lactate intravenous (IV) fluid till the ongoing probe into the recent maternal deaths at Ballari government hospital is over.

Replying to a debate on the issue in the Karnataka Legislative Council, Gundurao said that the decision to ban manufacturing of the ringer lactate IV fluid by the company was taken after the central and West Bengal drug controllers visited the company's manufacturing unit and found that the quality of the IF fluid was not as per the prescribed standards. "It is a welcome development," the minister said.

Over the past few days, as many as five lactating mothers died at the Ballari government hospital allegedly after they were administered with the Compound Sodium Lactate Injection I.P (ringer lactate solution) creating widespread anger against the state of affairs in the government hospitals in Karnataka.

The state drug controller, which tested the ringer lactate IV fluid, found that 22 batches of the fluid supplied by the company were not up to the prescribed standard. Following this, the state government filed a complaint against the company besides withdrawing all the batches of ringer lactate fluid.

The minister said that such tragic incidents have been happening due to the loopholes in the existing system of drug control in the country. "The laws that deal with the drug business are not effective while the drug lobby is very strong," the minister said.

"But the state government is trying its best to improve the system at its level. Merging of the Department of Food Safety and Standards with the Drug Control Department is one such measure the state government has recently taken," he added.

The state government has already announced Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased lactating mothers and efforts are being made to get more compensation from the company also, he said.