Kolkata: The West Bengal health department has initiated an investigation into allegations of low-quality, locally manufactured catheters being supplied to government hospitals at inflated prices. These central venous catheters (CVCs), crucial for administering fluids and medications, reportedly pose a risk to patients’ lives, officials said on Tuesday.
The substandard catheters were supplied to at least five medical colleges and hospitals across the state, in violation of guidelines requiring international standard-compliant devices. The distributor, Prakash Surgical, admitted to the lapse but attributed it to employee error.
“We began reviewing our stocks and discovered these low-quality CVCs in our hospital stores. These are not the government-allocated catheters, and we have alerted the state health department,” a senior official from Calcutta Medical College and Hospital told PTI.
Similar findings in other hospitals suggest potential insider involvement in the scam, a health department official stated.
The distributor, based in Hatibagan, Kolkata, has reportedly been supplying these substandard catheters for the past three to four months. Priced at approximately ₹1,500, these catheters were billed at ₹4,177 each, raising further concerns.
An initial investigation revealed that Prakash Surgical substituted low-quality, locally manufactured catheters for those made by the state-approved international supplier. “All the supplied units are being tested, and the probe will identify the beneficiaries of this malpractice,” the health department official added.
The distributor, however, claimed it was a mistake by employees during the owner’s absence. “I was unwell for a few months, and some staff members made this error. We are retrieving all affected units from the hospitals,” a representative of Prakash Surgical said.
A complaint has been filed with the police, and authorities are investigating how many patients may have been impacted. The probe also seeks to uncover potential corruption involving hospital staff and local representatives of international suppliers, health department sources indicated.
