Diphtheria deaths: Probe finds Delhi hospital didn’t have drugs since December

NEW DELHI: The report of the panel that probed the rising number of deaths due to

diphtheria

at

Maharishi Valmiki Infectious Disease Hospital

at

Kingsway Camp

shockingly revealed that the medical institution had not replenished its

anti-diphtheria serum

(ADS) stock after exhausting it last December.


The committee submitted its report to the North Delhi Municipal Corporation on Wednesday. The medical superintendent of the hospital has been suspended.

In September this year, around 169 patients were admitted in the hospital to be treated for diphtheria, and 21 of them died. Two others died on October 2 and 3. The probe report observed that during between December 2, 2017 and September 22 this year, “there was not a single dose of ADS in the hospital”.

The report noted that the medical superintendent had been apprised by Central Research Institute (CRI), Kasauli, manufacturer of ADS, about its inability to supply the serum for a year due to renovation work on its laboratory. CRI, however, said it could make ADS from the available raw material if the director general health services under the Union health ministry and the Union health secretary permitted it to do so.

The medical superintendent did take the permission of the civic body’s commissioner on March 27 and forwarded the consent to DGHS on April 28. However, the panel indicted the hospital official for taking “a considerable time to issue the letter to DGHS” and also failing “to communicate the factual position of non-availability of ADS” in time to the commissioner.

The panel reported that the medical superintendent invited quotations from eight private firms in August for procurement of ADS, but no approval was taken before asking for the quotations nor was the proposal processed at higher levels for administrative and financial clearances. “The exercise of procuring ADS from private firms should have been initiated in March or April,” the committee stated. “Had the MS reported in time the alarming situation of non-availability of ADS to his higher authority, attempts could have been initiated at the higher levels to procure from private firms.”

“We have suspended the medical superintendent for his lack of sincerity and seriousness about the issue,” said mayor Adesh Gupta. “Necessary actions will also be taken against officials in case of such ignorance in the future.” The mayor added that ADS had now been acquired from a private firm and the situation was “under control”.

While the report also pointed out drawback at the hospital such as non-functional operation theatres and unavailability of ambulance, X-ray and laboratory services, senior civic body officials sought to defend the state health department about the deaths. “The major reason why the patients died is because they were not vaccinated. The serum is not useful if the patient is not vaccinated,” said an official. He also talked about the difficulties of buying the serum in the open market, saying, “Under central government regulations, private firms require valid certification to sell ADS in the market. We bought ADS from a company based in Hyderabad that was certified as late as August this year.”