Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has suspended Drugs Controller Dr. Umesh S and ordered legal action against Paschim Banga Pharmaceuticals, a pharmaceutical company based in West Bengal, following four maternal deaths in Ballari linked to substandard Ringer’s lactate supplied by the firm. The deaths occurred during cesarean surgeries in November.
During a meeting with Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and senior officials, Siddaramaiah announced a compensation of ₹2 lakh for each affected family. The government has also decided to blacklist the pharma company and seek compensation from it for the victims’ families.
Ringer’s lactate, commonly used to replenish fluids and electrolytes, was identified as the suspected cause of the deaths. A preliminary inquiry exonerated the doctors involved in the surgeries, but departmental action has been initiated against the managing director of the Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation and the Ballari district surgeon.
To address the issue, Siddaramaiah formed a committee led by Additional Chief Secretary Uma Mahadevan to investigate similar incidents across the state, with a report expected within seven days. He also proposed restructuring the drugs control department and adopting Tamil Nadu’s drug procurement model to avoid future lapses.
Minister Rao disclosed that 22 of the 92 tested batches of the drug were substandard, with legal delays hampering timely action. He criticized the drugs controller for failing to prosecute the company earlier and stressed the need for stricter monitoring mechanisms.