‘Maternal deaths in Ballari hospital due to use of substandard ringer lactate solution’ 

Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Friday attributed the recent maternal deaths in Ballari district hospital to the use of substandard ringer lactate solution, an intravenous (IV) fluid that doctors commonly use to restore hydration and fluid balance in the body.

Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Friday attributed the recent maternal deaths in Ballari district hospital to the use of substandard ringer lactate solution, an intravenous (IV) fluid that doctors commonly use to restore hydration and fluid balance in the body.

A sudden spurt in maternal deaths was reported from Ballari district hospital from November 9 to November 11. The deaths were reported to have occurred following caesarean section conducted on these three days at the maternity operation theatre in the hospital.

Out of the 34 caesarean operations conducted during these three days, seven women developed complications such as acute kidney injury, requiring haemodialysis, and multi-organ dysfunction, the Minister said.

“Of the seven, four women died, including one death on November 26. A confidential review of the deaths by a team of specialists constituted by the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences has revealed that there is no negligence or dereliction of duty by the doctors at the hospital. The report said that all protocols and patient care guidelines have been followed,” he said.

Two of the remaining three women have been discharged from the hospital and one  patient is recovering at VIMS Ballari.

The Minister said the onset of complications following caesarean operations is being suspected to the ringer lactate solution supplied by M/S Paschim Banga Pharmaceutical Ltd to Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Ltd. (KSMSCL). 

“Earlier, all 192 batches supplied by the said company were temporarily frozen by KSMSCL, even though only two batches (03BF2258 and 036BF2255) were declared not of standard quality on March 18 this year by the Drugs Control Department. Later, following the certificate of standard quality by Central Drug Laboratories, the usage of ringer lactate of 84 batches was permitted by KSMSCL on August 13,” he explained.