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Contaminated Lactated Ringer fluid led to Raichur, Ballari deaths: Reports
The Karnataka state health ministry initiated the probe after the deaths were reported in October 2024
Deputy commissioner of Raichur K Nitish confirmed on Saturday that the four maternal deaths at Sindanur taluk government hospital in October and November were caused by the use of contaminated Lactated Ringer (LR) IV fluids supplied by the Ballari District Hospital.
He made the statement while addressing the media in Raichur district, citing test results given to labs in Bengaluru and Hyderabad during the course of the investigation.
The Karnataka state health ministry initiated the probe after the deaths were reported in October 2024, and sent samples of the LR IV fluids to laboratories in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and the drugs control laboratory of the Directorate General Of Health Services (DGHS).
“While the Bengaluru Medical College and a Hyderabad-based laboratory found that four of the six samples were safe, two were deemed harmful to use. The drug control laboratory’s report is still awaited. Following the test results, we have ceased using the two unsafe IV fluids and are continuing with the four that were cleared,” the deputy commissioner added.
The Raichur district health department reported that four women—Chandrakala (26), Renukamma (32), Mousami Mandal (22) and Channamma (25) —died shortly after their deliveries at Sindanur Taluk Hospital due to the contaminated fluids. Similarly, five maternal deaths were recorded at Ballari Government Hospital.
In Belagavi, the toll rose to 30 in six months following the death of 32-year-old Pooja Kadakabhavi, who delivered her fourth child, a boy, at the District Hospital on December 25. She succumbed to complications arising from epilepsy the following day.
Belagavi district medical superintendent Dr Vithal Shinde confirmed that 322 newborns died between January and December 2024, including 172 at the Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences (BIMS). “While the number of deaths is lower than last year, it remains concerning,” Dr. Shinde remarked.
The Lactated Ringer solution is routinely administered to treat dehydration and anemia in post-delivery and surgical cases. However, the revelations about the alleged contamination have led to outrage among medical professionals and political groups alike.
The BJP’s state Mahila Morcha launched a statewide campaign on Saturday, holding the government accountable for the deaths. A delegation led by morcha secretary Dr Sonali Sarnobat, who visited Pooja Kadakabhavi’s family in Gokak Taluk, condemned the negligence.
“Innocent, poor women are becoming victims of government hospitals despite the authorities knowing the IV fluids were unsafe,” Dr. Sarnobat said. “Our campaign will continue until these harmful fluids are completely removed and adequate compensation is provided to the victims’ families.”
Health and family welfare minister Dinesh Gundu Rao stated in October that all government and private hospitals have been instructed to stop using the harmful IV fluids. “The usage of these fluids has been ceased in all government facilities,” he assured.
Despite the ban, questions remain about the oversight and procurement processes that allowed the contaminated fluids, supplied by a West Bengal-based company, to be administered. Opposition parties and health experts are calling for accountability and systemic reforms to prevent such tragedies in the future.
