Rajasthan’s Drug Control Department has ordered an immediate recall of a specific batch of Dinoprostone Gel, a critical drug commonly used to induce labour and soften the cervix in pregnant women.
According to reports, the batch failed a government quality check at the state’s Drug Testing Laboratory in Jaipur, prompting the Drug Control Department to immediately halt its use. Hospitals across the state have been instructed to return the remaining stock immediately to ensure patient safety.
According to sources, the affected batch of Dinoprostone Gel containing batch number H-084 was manufactured by Cotec Healthcare, a Roorkee, Uttarakhand-based company. The sample was originally collected from the New Medical College Hospital (NMCH) store in Kota on May 17.
Authorities have identified approximately 1,117 units of the affected batch currently in the state’s inventory. To prioritize patient safety, the department has directed all government medical facilities to immediately stop using the product and initiate the return of stock to the manufacturer. As this medication is used in sensitive maternity care, its failure to meet quality standards poses a significant risk to patient welfare and raises fresh concerns about hospital procurement processes.
This latest recall has reignited debate over how medical supplies are quality-checked in India’s public health system. It comes months after a separate incident involving Oxytocin injections, another maternity drug, manufactured by Jackson Laboratories, which were also found to be substandard. Administered at the same Kota Medical College Hospital, those injections were linked to the deaths of several women and a number of serious complications to other pregnant women’s. Investigators later found the injections lacked adequate active ingredients. The case drew attention from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which acted on a complaint filed by Jan Swasthya Abhiyan India — demanding that manufacturers, regulators, and other responsible officials be held accountable to protect patients and prevent similar incidents in the future.
Written by: Pramit Hazra
Graphics by: Pramit Hazra
