Fake Oxytocin scandal rocks Rajasthan; 5 maternal deaths spark statewide probe
Fake or substandard oxytocin injections allegedly linked to maternal deaths in Kota have triggered a statewide probe, raising questions on Rajasthan healthcare
A major medical scandal has emerged in Rajasthan after lab tests reportedly confirmed that a batch of oxytocin injections supplied to government hospitals was either substandard or completely fake. The controversy is centred on New Medical College Hospital in Kota, where five pregnant women died after undergoing C-sections or uterine surgeries.
According to reports, the women suffered severe complications, including uncontrolled bleeding, after being administered the injections meant to control postpartum haemorrhage.
Drug concern
Oxytocin is a critical drug used during childbirth and surgical procedures to prevent excessive bleeding. However, laboratory tests reportedly found that the batch used at the hospital contained zero active oxytocin content.
Following the findings, Rajasthan’s drug controller has banned the sale and use of the failed batch across the state, triggering a wider investigation into how the medicine entered the hospital supply chain.
Factory response
The batch in question was reportedly manufactured at a facility linked to Jackson Laboratories in Amritsar.
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Jugal Kishore, Jackson factory owner, said, “It has been nearly 40 years since we started manufacturing this medicine, and until now, no such serious complaint had ever come forward.”
State action
Rajasthan Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar confirmed that locally procured oxytocin injections were found to contain negligible or zero content and were immediately withdrawn from circulation.
“The locally procured Oxytocin injections were found to contain negligible or zero content. We have withdrawn all such drugs across Rajasthan. However, the absence of Oxytocin alone does not statistically cause death, and we are also examining whether faulty medical equipment played a role,” Khimsar said.
Probe underway
Authorities are now investigating whether the issue stemmed from manufacturing failure, supply chain tampering, or lapses in quality control mechanisms.
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Officials are also examining whether medical equipment failures could have contributed to the deaths, as multiple angles remain under review.
Accountability questions
The incident has raised serious concerns over drug monitoring systems in government hospitals and the safety of essential medicines used during emergency childbirth procedures.
As the probe continues, questions remain over accountability and how a potentially ineffective or fake life-saving injection reached patients in a major government hospital setting.
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