Expired ointment allegedly dispensed to infant at Idukki Medical College
Idukki: The family of a 21-day-old baby has alleged that the pharmacy at Idukki Medical College Hospital dispensed an expired ointment, prompting them to file a complaint with the hospital superintendent.
The infant was taken to the hospital on September 26 for a cold and an allergy around the neck. Following a doctor's consultation, the family was prescribed an ointment for the allergy along with nasal drops, which they purchased from the hospital pharmacy.
After returning home, the family checked the medicines and found that the ointment had expired in June 2026. According to the family, the ointment was manufactured in June 2024 and had a shelf life of two years.
The parents did not apply the ointment to the baby and subsequently complained to the hospital superintendent. They said the expiry was noticed before the medicine was used, preventing any adverse consequences for the infant.
Following the complaint, the hospital superintendent sought a report from the pharmacy staff. However, the staff explained that the required ointment was not in stock at the pharmacy. The hospital authorities said further action would be taken after conducting an investigation and getting the report, reports Kerala Kamudi.
The alleged lapse has also drawn protests, with the DYFI Idukki Block Committee staging a protest outside the office of the medical college superintendent.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that a case involving the alleged administration of an expired paracetamol injection to the eight-year-old daughter of a Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) has come to light in Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh. Following the incident, two pharmacists were suspended, and the medicine warehouse at the government health facility was sealed on the instructions of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO).
