Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has criticized officials following the deaths of four pregnant women at Ballari District Hospital due to faulty Ringer Lactate IV solutions. Holding district drug controllers accountable, he accused them of negligence and ordered the blacklisting of the West Bengal-based supplier responsible for the substandard product. A criminal case will be filed against the company, and Drug Controller Umesh has been suspended for failing to test the solution before use. The CM also announced Rs 2 lakh compensation for each victim’s family, with additional compensation to be sought from the supplier.
During a high-level meeting at Vidhana Soudha, Siddaramaiah expressed concerns about potential collusion between officials and the supplier. He directed an investigation and instructed the District Hospital’s Managing Director to respond to the lapses. To prevent similar incidents, an expert committee led by the Development Commissioner will review the situation and submit a detailed report within a week. The Chief Minister emphasized inspecting drug-related practices in other hospitals across the state to ensure safety.
Siddaramaiah also called for overhauling Karnataka’s drug procurement system, inspired by Tamil Nadu’s model. He directed officials to prepare a proposal to restructure the Drug Control Department for presentation in the next cabinet meeting. Stressing the need to curb the influence of the “medicine mafia,” he assured that strict measures and systemic changes would be implemented to prevent future tragedies, with accountability for those involved in the current lapses.
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