58 Unauthorised Clinical Trials Spark DCGI Ban on VS Hospital, Doctors, Pharma Giants Under Fire

Following the scandal, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) received instructions from DCGI to halt all future trial activity at the facility. The decision came after AMC’s five-member probe panel, headed by its vigilance department chief, submitted a detailed report exposing violations involving over 500 patients.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that nine doctors were suspended and nearly 50 pharmaceutical companies came under scrutiny for their role in unauthorised clinical drug trials conducted at the hospital without mandatory approvals.

Also Read: Medical Ethics Breached: 9 Doctors Suspended, 50 Pharma Giants In Dock For Unauthorised Drug Trials

According to a recent media report in the Times of India, last week, the AMC panel confirmed that the trials were carried out by former superintendent Dr Manish Patel, former associate professor and clinical head Dr Devang Rana, and Dr Dhaivat Shukla, allegedly for personal financial gain.

An AMC official stated, "Now, departmental actions, including issuing charge sheets against the accused doctors, will be undertaken. A preliminary investigation was conducted prior to this inquiry report. DCGI officials, also investigating the allegations, had inspected VS Hospital and seized documents related to the trials. The DCGI then instructed AMC not to conduct clinical trials in the future. Currently, VS Hospital lacks the necessary infrastructure to conduct clinical trials."

AMC sources further revealed, "The AMC inquiry committee's report reveals that the trials were conducted without completing any legal procedures. Between 2021 and 2025, a total of 58 clinical trials were conducted, with no funds deposited at VS Hospital. The money was deposited into the accounts of Dr Patel, Dr Rana, and Dr Shukla, as well as accounts of family members. Although the trials were conducted with the approval of a private ethics committee, no official approval was obtained. Documents related to trials were not maintained. Over four years various vaccine and drug clinical research was done on more than 500 patients."

Another AMC official added, "Neither does VS Hospital have permanent or senior doctors, nor is it affiliated with any ethics committee. Misinterpretation of clinical trial regulations led to the illegal trials. The hospital also does not have the infrastructure for clinical trials."

TOI reports that the probe was initiated on April 19, after Congress councillor Rajshree Kesari filed a complaint alleging that hospital doctors were conducting unauthorised drug trials and routing funds to personal bank accounts. Following this, AMC suspended Dr Rana and eight contract doctors and issued notices to Dr Patel, Dr Rana, and others involved. The committee was later expanded to include Dr Bhavin Solanki, AMC’s in-charge health officer, amid concerns about conflict of interest.

"AMC operationalised SVP Hospital in Jan 2019 on the VS Hospital premises. It was decided to maintain VS Hospital with 500 beds. SVP Hospital was affiliated with NHL Medical College, and an ethics committee was established. In 2021, VS Hospital was excluded from the ethics committee, making it impossible to conduct clinical trials there. If any private ethics committee wanted to conduct trials, approval from AMC, the Medical Education Trust, and the VS Hospital management was mandatory. The trials went on without following any approvals," a senior civic official explained.