Again, epilepsy drug from Delhi hospitals failed test

Days after Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena recommended CBI enquiry into the procurement and supply of ‘spurious and non-standard drugs’ that were supplied to the Delhi Government hospitals, Raj Niwas officials on Wednesday said another medicine used for treating seizures and epilepsy have also failed the test. According to officials, another drug samples taken from Delhi government hospitals failed by the Regional Drug Testing Laboratory in Chandigarh.

Mr Saxena last week had recommended a CBI inquiry into the alleged supply of drugs that “failed quality standard tests” and have the “potential of endangering lives.”  After some complaints received from patients, samples were collected from three major Delhi govt Hospitals – IHBAS, Lok Nayak and Deen Dayal Upadhyay and were sent to the approved labs for testing. Over 10 per cent of the medicine samples failed and were found to be “Not of standard quality”. 

These drugs were procured by the Central Procurement Agency, under the Health Department of the city govt and supplied to various government hospitals.  The spurious and non-standard drugs being supplied include critical life-saving anti-biotic used for treatment of lungs and UT infections – Cephalexin, steroid for curing life threatening inflammation in lungs, joints and swelling in the body – Dexamethasone, Anti epilepsy and anti-anxiety psychiatric drug- Levetiracetam and anti-hypertension drug- Amlodepin.

“Series of medicines and drugs are not meeting the standards. Few days after LG referred the matter of fake drugs in Delhi govt hospitals and Mohalla clinics to CBI, one more Drug sample was failed by Regional Drug Testing Laboratory, (RDTL Chandigarh). This Time Anti epilepsy drug called “ Sodium Valporoate” was found to be not meeting the standards”, said an official from Raj Niwas.

The official said that this drug being supplied in Delhi Govt Hospitals was found to be of “Not of Standard Quality”.  The report was issued by Government Analyst ie RDTL on 22nd December 2023.