The Hindu : Drug overdose: HC orders new probe

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 08, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Drug overdose: HC orders new probe

By Our Staff Reporter

Kochi April 7. Rejecting the finding of an inquiry conducted by the Additional Director of Health Services (Vigilance) into the overdose of drug administered to 22 patients in the Mental Health Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, the Kerala High Court ordered a further inquiry into the incident by a four-member team of leading psychiatrists in the State. Justice K. Padmanabhan Nair ordered the inquiry in the suo motu proceedings initiated in the matter of mental health centres in the State. The court ordered that the inquiry report be filed within two months.

The court ordered a fresh inquiry as it found that the inquiry conducted was unsatisfactory. The Additional Director of Health Services(Vigilance) had concluded that none of the 22 patients had received excessive doses of drugs "either accidentally or intentionally''. In fact, it was well documented that deep sedation could be caused in patients on administration of anti-psychotic drugs even when administered at "optimal dose'' to those with acute illness. It was "over reporting'' of patients to the doctors which led to the alarm over the overdose of medicines. More and more patients had come to the doctors when they saw doctors examining a few patients. The inquiry report said that the anti-psychotic drugs were given on the instructions of the medical officers.

The incident took place on February 25. As many as 22 patients had felt drowsiness following administration of the drugs. Two of them were referred to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College. In fact, 20 patients did not appear to have had any sedative effect and they became alert by noon.

The court found that there were contradictory views in the inquiry report. Besides, the report did not say who had noticed the drowsiness and what was the cause of the drowsiness. The investigation had not been conducted into whether the drowsiness was caused due to any overdose of drugs or administration of other drugs or food poisoning. The report did not speak about the general condition of the patients who were administered the drugs. The detail regarding case sheet, date of admission, behaviour of the patients, etc. had not been mentioned in the report. The report did not say who had ordered that two heavily sedated patients be taken to the Medical College Hospital. Besides, the report did not say whether there was any negligence on the part of the doctors and staff of the Centre. Therefore, in order to ascertain these facts, the court felt that a further investigation by a team of psychiatrists headed by Arun Kishore, assistant professor, Psychiatry, Medical College, Thrissur was necessary.

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Drug overdose: HC orders new probe