BALASORE: The injections, which you take hoping that it would cure you of diseases might just prove fatal. In Balasore district headquarters hospital crystal-like substances and fungus were found floating in a couple of life saving injections stocked there. More shocking is that the injections have two more years of shelf-life. The crystal-like substances were found in Mannitol, an intravenous injection administered to high blood pressure or haematoma patients.
The injection usually looks clean and is administered like saline. “The injections with substances floating in it and dirty in colour are being administered to the patients. Over 20 per cent of the stock in the hospital store is not at all injectable,” said a health worker on condition of anonymity.
Not only Mannitol, many Rabeprazole injections were also found to be turning black with fungus inside. The store has a stock of over 10,000 Mannitol and Rabeprazole injections. While the Mannitol has been supplied by Indore-based Parenteral Drug (India) Limited, Maharashtra’s Ciron Drugs has supplied Rabeprazole injections.
It will definitely harm the human body and may even be fatal if these life-saving injections are administered in the same condition without proper quality check, said Dr AK Das, a retired physician. The hospital authorities should take note of it immediately, he added. Meanwhile, CDMO S Iqballudin Ahmed has asked all the doctors and nurses to ensure a proper quality check before administering injections. “The staff have been asked to intimate if they find any substance floating or fungus in injections. The injections with discrepancies will be sent for tests,” he said.
The Chief District Medical Officer admitted that earlier similar allegations were made against Rebeprazole. “We had then stopped its supply and sent a few samples for quality check. After it was tested ok, order was placed with the supplier again. We will take similar steps this time too,” he promised attributing the defects in the Mannitol during sealing. Similarly, Rebeprazole turns black if it comes in contact with moisture, he added.