Kota C-section deaths: Action against drug firm; experts say Oxytocin not cause
Jaipur, May 26
A major health scare has emerged in Rajasthan as a batch of Oxytocin injections manufactured by Jackson Laboratories are found to be substandard during laboratory testing linked to the investigation into maternal deaths in Kota, officials said.
Following the findings, authorities confirmed that disciplinary proceedings are being taken against the said company and confirmed that an immediate statewide ban has been imposed on the sale and use of the affected batch.
They have also directed hospitals, pharmacies, and medical stores to remove the injections from their inventories.
Rajasthan Principal Secretary (Health), Gayatri Rathore, confirmed to IANS that a disciplinary proceeding is being undertaken against the pharma company.
She also added that investigation is also underway that if the drug was administered to other pregnant women admitted in hospital.
However, medical experts have cautioned against directly linking the injections to the deaths.
Gynaecologist Ritika Mathur told IANS that the possibility of the injection directly causing the maternal deaths appeared highly unlikely.
She noted that one of the deceased women, identified as Shirin, had reportedly not been administered the injection, yet she also suffered kidney failure and later died.
The controversy intensified after the deaths of five women during treatment in Kota.
Following the incident, a team from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi visited Kota to conduct an inquiry.
During the investigation, the expert team recommended that the medicines administered to the patients be tested before drawing conclusions regarding the deaths.
Earlier, samples of the medicines were collected and sent for laboratory analysis, leading to the discovery that the Oxytocin injection batch was substandard and lacked the required active ingredient.
The findings meanwhile have triggered serious concern within the State Medical Department and Drug Control authorities.
According to an official Drug Alert issued by the Rajasthan Food Safety and Drug Control Commissionerate, the sample failed quality testing conducted by the Central Drugs Laboratory.
Investigators said that the Oxytocin content in the tested sample was found to be completely absent.
The injection was reportedly supplied to hospitals in Kota through local procurement channels.
Authorities are now investigating whether the same batch of injections was distributed to other hospitals or entered the open market.
Meanwhile, Assistant Drug Controller Devendra Kumar Garg said that the firm Rajasthan Medical Hall had supplied the injections.
He also told that over a four-month period, the injections had reportedly been administered to nearly 12,500 women during childbirth procedures.
However, following the receipt of the drug testing report on Monday, authorities have seized the remaining stock of the failed batch.
Officials confiscated 2,479 injections from the store of Kota Medical College, with an estimated value of around Rs 25,000. Another 72 injections were seized from J.K. Lon Hospital, while nearly 950 injections held by the supplier for further distribution were also confiscated.
Garg clarified that the injections failed the chemical analysis test because the required active ingredient, Oxytocin, was absent.
He emphasised that the use of the injection was unlikely to directly cause death, kidney failure, or similar fatal complications.
Speaking to IANS, Dr. Ritika Mathur said Oxytocin is primarily used to induce labour pain and stimulate uterine contractions during normal deliveries.
If labour does not progress naturally, doctors often proceed with cesarean delivery.
She questioned why the injection batch alone was being blamed when several women undergoing normal deliveries had reportedly received the same injections without complications.
According to her, the role of fluids administered along with anaesthesia during cesarean procedures should also be investigated.
"This injection cannot be the cause of these deaths," she said.
Ajay Phatak, Rajasthan Drug Controller, said, "This injection is administered for normal delivery. Women who died in Kota underwent Cesarean deliveries. An investigation is underway to determine whether or not they were administered this injection. The concerned batch has been suspended. The reports for the remaining 21 medications are normal."
Investigations into the broader maternal deaths case are continuing.
— IANS
Reader Comments
What absolute negligence! 😡 12,500 women received this substandard injection, but only 5 died? That doesn't add up. Yet the fact that the shot had zero active ingredient is criminal. Jackson Laboratories should be shut down immediately. Our mothers deserve better than cheap, fake medicines!
Glad to see the authorities taking swift action-seizing thousands of injections and banning the batch. But the experts' point about investigating the C-section procedures and anaesthesia is valid. It's not just about one drug; we need to look at the whole system of maternal care in govt hospitals.
This is heartbreaking for the families. 💔 While the Oxytocin itself may not be the cause, the fact that it was substandard shows how badly our pharma supply chain is regulated. Also, why were these women undergoing C-sections? We need to ask if unnecessary surgeries are happening.
Respectfully, I think the focus on Oxytocin is a red herring. The drug controller himself said it's for normal deliveries, but these women had C-sections. The real culprits might be anaesthesia drugs or other meds given during surgery. AIIMS should test ALL the medications used, not just one.
I'm not a doctor, but I've had family members who had C-sections. They never got Oxytocin because it's only for inducing labour. So why blame it? But the bigger issue is accountability-we can't have fake medicines flowing everywhere. The entire supply chain from manufacturer to hospital needs a complete overhaul.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.