West Bengal: Probe Ordered After Low-Quality Catheters Supplied to 5 Govt Hospitals

Kolkata: The West Bengal health department has initiated an investigation into the supply of allegedly low-quality, locally made catheters at inflated prices to at least five medical colleges and hospitals, raising concerns about patient safety.

These central venous catheters (CVCs) were reportedly distributed to at least five medical colleges and hospitals in the state, despite allocations for internationally-compliant, high-standard CVCs.

Such central venous catheters (CVCs) were allegedly supplied to at least five medical colleges and hospitals in the state, defying allocation of international standard-compliant CVCs, officials said.

According to the PTI report, the distribution company, which has been accused of supplying these catheters to government hospitals, admitted to the fault but placed the blame on its employees.

"We started checking stocks some time back and found these locally made CVCs in my hospital store. These catheters are of low quality as compared to those allocated by the state. We have informed the state health department," a senior official of the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital told PTI.

Low-quality catheters were also found in the stores of other hospitals, which indicates "possible involvement of insiders in the scam", a health department official said.

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The low-quality CVCs were supplied by a distributor in the Hatibagan area in the northern part of Kolkata for the last three to four months, he said.

"Such kinds of local CVCs are priced around Rs 1,500 but the distributor took Rs 4,177 for each device," the official said.

A CVC is a thin and flexible tube that is inserted into a vein to allow for the administration of fluids, blood, and other treatment. It's also clinically called a central line catheter.

"An initial probe revealed that the distribution company Prakash Surgical had supplied the low-quality and locally manufactured catheters to several government hospitals instead of the CVCs of the government-designated international company. All the units will be tested and a proper investigation is on to find out who benefited from these supplies," the health department official said, news agency PTI reported.

The distribution company blamed its employees for the supply of inferior quality catheters.

"I was sick for a few months. Some employees of the organisation made this mistake. We are taking back all those units that have gone to the hospitals. It's all about misunderstanding," an official of the distribution company told PTI.

According to another state health department official, a complaint was lodged with the police in this connection.

Asked about how many patients were affected by the usage of such low-quality CVCs, the official said, "The probe would also try to find that out."

According to sources in the health department, some of the staff of the hospitals' equipment receiving departments and some local officials of international organisations might be involved in the alleged irregularities.

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