State Ordered to Pay ₹1.25 Lakh for Administering Expired Hepatitis-B Vaccines

Quick Summary

• Telangana Human Rights Commission (THRC) ordered the State government to pay ₹1.25 lakh compensation to each victim of expired Hepatitis-B vaccines administered at Gandhi Hospital over a decade ago.
• The incident, disclosed through complaints filed in 2014-2015, involved 16 individuals experiencing adverse effects like dizziness, stomach pain, and mental distress after receiving expired vaccines from the hospital’s ART Center of Excellence.
• THRC found irregularities in medicine supply systems, including conflicting expiry dates on vaccine packaging labels.While hospital authorities blamed manufacturers for unclear labeling, THRC held them accountable for failure to ensure proper verification protocols before administering drugs.
• Justice Shameem Akther stated that fundamental rights to health and dignity were violated; existing disciplinary measures (e.g., suspension of Dr. Tara Devi) were deemed inadequate responses to the serious breach of duty by hospital staff.
• THRC directed the Chief Secretary of Telangana to initiate action against responsible officials and overhaul medicine procurement protocols across government hospitals within two months.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The THRC’s judgment underscores critical lapses in healthcare management in government-run hospitals-highlighting systemic issues such as lackadaisical quality control and procedural negligence around drug safety that can compromise public trust in essential services like immunizations at state facilities. The mandated overhaul of procurement processes could serve as a pivotal step toward ensuring medicine verification procedures are regularized across all healthcare institutions if implemented effectively.Furthermore, compensation might provide immediate relief for victims but does not undo violations against thier bodily integrity or mental well-being-a reminder that sustained vigilance remains key in safeguarding patient rights amid bureaucratic inefficiencies pervasive within public health systems.

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