Anaesthetic ‘safe’, claims chemist in reply to PGI

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 19

The chemist at the PGI’s Emergency shop, in a reply to the institute’s show-cause notice, has claimed anaesthetic Propofol has been found to be “complaint and safe”.

“The quality of the drug, which is available in our chemist shop has been analysed and found to be compliant and safe. The same drug, manufactured by the same company, is also approved/sourced for government supply in GMCH-32,” said the chemist.

The licensee of the chemist shop in the Emergency Block maintained the show-cause notice had been issued without any complaint and that it was not even ascertained whether drug Propoven (Injection Propofol), which was supposed to have caused the deaths, had been purchased from their shop.

“No bill has been attached with your show-cause notice nor has any complaint of any specific patient/attendant been appended therewith to show the drug has been purchased from our shop,” he stated. “We are not only sellers of this injection. The same is readily available in the market. It is easily available with other chemists, not only in the PGI, but also in other chemist shops in and around the PGI. It is not even the case that the drug in question was soiled, damaged, post-dated or expired. In fact, in the show-cause notice itself, it has been noticed the expiry date of the batch in question is 02/2024,” said the chemist, in the reply submitted to the PGI.

The chemist, who pays Rs 1.57 crore, was served notice after five deaths were reported at PGI following administration of the anaesthetic during surgery.

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