India, women who died after sterilization: rodenticide found in medicines

Of FQ | November 15, 2014 | Daily fact

A view drug manufacturing unit of Mahawar Pharma Pvt Ltd which was sealed by FDA on Thursday.

Sterilizations with drugs that contain a powerful rat poison. This was revealed by the health authorities of India, after 14 women have died since the beginning of November after sterilization procedures. Operations that were not carried out in houses or makeshift rooms, but by qualified doctors and within state hospital structures. The news was confirmed by an official of the Health Department of the state of Chhattisgarh, where the deaths occurred: "From an initial examination - he said - it seems that the health of women operated in the health field has worsened after taking the medicines contaminated with zinc phosphide, a substance used as rat poison."

Il governo locale ha così aperto un’inchiesta, affidandola a una commissione ad hoc che, in un tempo massimo di tre mesi, dovrà presentare un rapporto che faccia emergere le responsabilità e ricostruisca gli eventi. Le indagini si concentreranno sulla campagna sanitaria lanciata una settimana fa, quando a 80 donne è stato offerto di sottoporsi a intervento chirurgico per il controllo delle nascite. Ottanta interventi chirurgici in meno di 5 ore. Altre 122 donne sono ancora ricoverate in ospedali della zona, dopo essersi sottoposte, una settimana fa, all’intervento di tubectomia.

Proprio nell’ambito dell’inchiesta aperta sulle 14 morti, la polizia ha effettuato diversi blitz all’interno di industrie farmaceutiche e negozi all’ingrosso che forniscono medicinali usati delle equipe mediche governative, riuscendo così a stabilire la provenienza del farmaco che, somministrato alle vittime, ne ha causato la morte. Si tratta di un antibiotico che proviene dall’azienda Mahawar Pharma, che ha stabilimenti nella capitale dello Stato del Chhattisgarh.

By carrying out chemical analyzes on the product, the investigators discovered that, among its components, there is also zinc phosphide, a substance also found during an inspection inside the pharmaceutical company's factories. The poison, left unattended and probably used as a rat poison, could have contaminated the medicines during the production process. All stocks have been seized by the Indian authorities and factory directors have been arrested, but there are fears that many of these drugs have been sold to the government and are now in Indian hospitals.