UT withdraws anaesthetic drug ‘linked’ to 5 deaths at PGI

Amid speculations that Propofol injection, an anaesthetic drug given to patients before any major surgery, caused five deaths in PGIMER, UT withdrew the drugs from hospitals and pharmacists in Chandigarh

Amid speculations that the Propofol injection, an anaesthetic drug given to patients before any major surgery, has caused five deaths in the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) last week, the UT health department on Tuesday withdrew the drugs from the hospitals and pharmacists in Chandigarh.

According to information, five people, who had to undergo orthopaedic and neurosurgeries, are suspected to have died after the drug was inoculated to them in PGI. The UT health department on Tuesday withdrew the drugs from the hospitals and pharmacists in Chandigarh. (HT Photo)

According to information, five people, who had to undergo orthopaedic and neurosurgeries, are suspected to have died after the drug was inoculated to them. On deliberating the cause of deaths, doctors found Propofol injection as the common ground to investigate the death of the patients. The injections were procured from a private pharmacy situated inside the institute’s emergency block.

“Though the actual cause of death of the five people is not ascertained, a joint team of drug inspectors of UT Chandigarh and the CDSCO has taken samples from the pharmacy from where the drug was purchased by patients’ attendants. The samples are being sent for testing, reports of which will take around four weeks,” said UT health secretary Yashpal Garg.

“Meanwhile, all the four available injections of Propofol, which were the same batch that were inoculated, have been removed from the pharmacies and hospitals of Chandigarh. No more injection of the particular batch is available with any of the pharmacies in Chandigarh. Also, the distributor of the drug in Panchkula has also been contacted to ensure that injections of the same batch are not sold or used till reports of the samples and inquiry is submitted,” Garg said, adding, “Till the samples are analysed, we cannot say that there was any issue with the particular batch or not.”

Meanwhile, the PGIMER also released an official statement saying, “On September 1, a matter regarding health complications in post-operative period in a few patients over the past few days, was brought to the notice of the institute’s medical superintendent by two of the department heads. Immediately, an urgent meeting was convened which was duly attended by senior faculty from multiple departments.” “Taking a serious view of the situation, a high-level committee was constituted by PGIMER director Dr Vivek Lal under the chairmanship of Prof SK Gupta, head, department of neurosurgery, to thoroughly investigate this incident. The committee is investigating the matter and the final report is awaited from their end,” a PGIMER statement added.

In the routine PGIMER practice, the patient’s attendant is asked to purchase a prescribed list of items. Being the nearest to the Trauma Centre, most people buy drugs and surgical items from the private pharmacy in an emergency.