Now, epilepsy drug given in Delhi Govt hospitals fails quality test

New Delhi: In a major embarrassment for the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi Government, yet another drug being used in a government hospital was found to be substandard.

The medicine that failed the test is critical for the treatment of epilepsy and seizures and according to officials, a series of drugs are not meeting prescribed standards.

A few days after Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena referred the matter of non-standard drugs being procured and supplied in Delhi Government Hospitals and Mohalla clinics to the CBI, one more drug sample was failed by the Regional Drug Testing Laboratory (RDTL), Chandigarh.

According to officials, this time it was found that the anti-epilepsy drug called Sodium Valproate being supplied in Delhi Government Hospitals was “not of standard quality."

This report was issued by the Government analyst i.e. RDTL on December 22 after the L-G recommended a CBI enquiry in the matter of substandard drugs in Delhi Government hospitals.

According to officials, Saxena in his note to the Chief Secretary mentioned that it is concerning that these medicines are being given to lakhs of patients.

The L-G raised his concern over the hefty budgetary allocation in procurement as well.