HYDERABAD: Antibiotics, diuretics, and some other intra-venous fluids of three companies were recalled by the Telangana State Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation (TSMIDC) from all health institutions in Telangana ‘urgently’.
The instructions were passed after five maternal deaths had been reported in TS since Thursday.
It is learnt that higher officials in the health and family welfare department were inquiring after maternal deaths at Niloufer Hospital. They were looking into complications caused by dextrose with sodium chloride injection (5 per-cent) of a company but no action was taken then. It has been recalled by the corporation now. However, the reasons given by doctors and officials for recalling the drugs are not clear.
While doctors said that it is one way to know if the drugs are causing health complications, Health Department officials said that the decision is not tied to maternal deaths but is precautionary.
Stocks of the eight medicines have been replaced with other drugs. Marking instructions as ‘MOST URGENT’, TSMIDC’s managing director listed eight drugs in a letter to executive engineers and pharmacists of Central Medicine Stores (CMS) on Saturday.
The listed drugs include dextrose with sodium chloride injection, Ciprofloxacin Injection IP 200 mg/100 ml, Metronidazole IV Infusion IP 500 mg, Mannitol 20 per cent IV Infusion IP 100 ml, and four other IV fluids.