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The Health Ministry summoned six Indian drug manufacturers to Sri Lanka as part of the ongoing probe into the recent discovery of pieces of glass and plastic in injection vials and bottles of saline.
Two of these drug companies were represented by their local agents, who were unaware of the drug manufacturing level or the other countries which purchased drugs from them, a Health Ministry official said.
The companies which were summoned by the Health Ministry were Kilitch Drugs India Limited (The manufacturer of Cefuroxine), U Medical Laboratories Private Limited (Hydrocortizone Sodium Succinate), Belco Pharma (Pethidine), India Vins Biotech (Anti-snake venom serum), Backster India (Saline) and Murcury Laboratories (Pheneragan), he said.
The official said the Ministry was not satisfied by some of the basic medical practices observed by these Indian drug manufacturers in producing vaccines and injections.
A ten-member team headed by the Chairman of the National Drugs and Cosmetic Devices Authority, Dr. Hemantha Beneragama held the inquiry and would submit their report to the Health Secretary on Tuesday (3), the official said.
The investigators will announce their decision on the two Indian companies which failed to appear at the Ministerial Inquiry. The Health Ministry has already warned it would take a unilateral decision against those who failed to attend the inquiry.
The Ministerial inquiry follows a spate of incidents where pieces of glass and plastic were discovered in several injection vials and Saline bottles in the Ratnapura, Elpitiya and Embilipitiya hospitals. The anti-snake venom serum at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital was found discoloured even before the date of expiry, the official said.
