Chandigarh 16th June; The PGI Medical Technologists has lodged a written complaint with Institutional (intramural) and Ethical Committee for forcing junior faculty and Medical Technologists to use expiry kits by Prof. R. K. Ratho, Head, Department of Virology for Rubella IgM and HBeAg test.
The Rubella IgM test is done in pregnancy cases for any congential malformations and the presence of HBeAg is pivotal for deciding whether to start antiviral therapy in chronic hepatitis B positive cases. It was brought to the notice of PGI MTA that elisa kits for Rubella IGM with Date of Expiry as 12.11.2014 has been used up till February, 2015.
The Protocol for these tests and reports have been signed by Faculty and Technical Staff. Further, the Head, Department of Virology has forced the Junior Faculty and Technical Staff to use expired elisa kits for HBeAg test with Date of Expiry as 09.11.2014 up to 16th January, 2015.
Addding insult to injury, Prof. R. Ratho, Head, Department of Virology has purchased fresh elisa kits for Rubella IgM tests in March, 2015 with Date of Expiry in 2016. It shows that Head, Department of Virology has some internal setting with Manufacturers / Suppliers to buy and accept kits with very short expiry dates for extraneous consideration and later force the Junior Faculty and Staff to use these expiry kits.
In view of the above the serious consequnecs and unethical practice, the PGI MTA has requested the Institutional (intramural) and Ethical Committee that the relevant record of Virology Laboratory may kindly be seized immediately to probe the matter wherein the Department of Virology has been making compromise with the lives of patients.
Further, the PGI MTA has requested the Administration that the Junior Faculty and Technical Staff may be granted immunity for refusing to use expiry kits in larger public and patient interests so that they are subjected to harassment and victimization for refusal under Conduct Rules. Copies of complaint has been sent to PM, CVC, DPGI and CVO, PGI.