Probe by multi-disciplinary experts sought into RCC issue

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, AUG. 1. Dr. V.N. Bhattathiri, clinical radiobiologist, who petitioned the Human Rights Commission against alleged indiscriminate clinical trials at the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), today demanded a probe by a panel of multi- disciplinary experts to bring out the truth of the issue.

Addressing presspersons, Dr. Bhattathiri also announced his refusal to cooperate with the one-man inquiry instituted by the Government as he felt that the probe would prove an eye-wash given the complex medical, ethical, legal and moral issues involved in the controversial trial on patients.

It was vital that the panel to be represented by persons of medical, legal, pharmacology and social eminence for the conduct of a fair and impartial inquiry. Moreover, the person who was a junior medical oncologist at the Tata Memorial Hospital, could not be expected to provide a fair and unbiased report, he added.

Dr. Bhattathiri, along with Dr. V.P. Gangadharan, Head of Medical Oncology, RCC, demanded that even the comprehensive inquiry by multi-disciplinary specialists be conducted only after keeping away all the persons who faced allegations of unethical practices. This, they said, was vital to ensure the independent nature of the commission of inquiry and that the ensuing report was not influenced by those involved in the trial.

No isolated issue

Earlier, at a panel discussion on the controversial clinical trial at the RCC, organised by the Forum for Patients' Rights, Dr. V. Raman Kutty, of the Health Action by People, cautioned against regarding the controversial clinical trial as an isolated issue or as an individual instance.

The issue, according to him, when considered in its entirety, exposed the lax norms on clinical trials undertaken in the country. The liberal policies had led to a situation where anyone could carry out drug experimentation on patients here. He called for the evolvement of strict and standard guidelines to safeguard the rights of the patients.

Dr. Gangadharan said the issue would have gone unnoticed had one of the patients who had been unwittingly subjected to the trial not approached him for follow-up treatment. The fact that the M4N injection was administered on the patient, in spite of his acute asthmatic condition, showed the undue haste with which the patients had been subjected to the clinical trial, he said.

Dr. C.R. Soman, chairman of the HAP, said that most of the claims made by the RCC Director, Dr. M. Krishnan Nair, at a recent press conference, particularly the claim that the RCC would hold joint drug patent with the Johns Hopkins University, were false.

Mr. Vincent Panikulangara, legal expert, felt that only a judicial inquiry would bring out the truth of the whole episode.

The discussion was inaugurated by Mr. Prathapa Varma Thampan, MLA.

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