MP News: Worm Found in Mouthwash at Bhopal Hospital Sparks Outrage

A stir was caused at JP Hospital in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, after a worm was found in mouthwash.

MP News: Allegations regarding the quality of medicines in government hospitals continue unabated, even after the deaths of 25 children in Chhindwara due to cold syrup. Two recent incidents at JP District Hospital have once again raised serious questions about the oversight of the healthcare system.

Even before the investigation into the complaint of mouldy medicine was completed, a case of a patient being given a mouthwash with worm-like shapes emerged. Two complaints in just three days indicate that despite claims of improvement after the cold syrup scandal, the system's reality has not changed.

On January 3, patient Satish Sen alleged that the medicine provided by the hospital was mouldy. He complained to the hospital administration, questioning the quality of the medicine. On January 6, a young man named Manish filed a complaint stating that he found worm-like shapes in the mouthwash given for his throat infection.

Doubts over Medicines

The medicines that have drawn complaints are typically administered to a large number of patients. These include the pain reliever Diclofenac 50mg tablets and 50ml of Chlorhexidine Mouthwash IP 0.2 per cent. A sample of the mouthwash has been sent to the laboratory for testing to confirm the suspected object found in it.

CMHO Orders Investigation

Taking both complaints seriously, CMHO Dr. Manish Sharma has formed a five-member special investigation team. This team includes officials from the Food and Drug department and health department staff. The team has been instructed to inspect the quality of the entire stock of medicines in the JP Hospital pharmacy, drug store, and those being dispensed to patients.

Claims and Contradictions

The CMHO stated that the stock of the Diclofenac tablet, claimed to be mouldy, had already expired in December. On the other hand, hospital staff have acknowledged receiving the medicine strip from the complainant for investigation. No investigation report has been made public so far.

Dampness: A Silent Threat

According to the hospital's store staff, dampness is a significant problem within the JP Hospital premises. The walls of the drug store and pharmacy are constantly damp, complaints about which have been made to the Civil Surgeon's office previously.

Administration's Silence

The silence of JP Hospital's Civil Surgeon, Dr. Sanjay Jain, on the entire matter is also under scrutiny. He refused to comment on the issue when contacted by phone. The CMHO mentioned that worm-like shapes were observed in the mouthwash bottle, and its sample has been sent for testing. The nature of these shapes will only be known after the investigation. The investigation team is currently examining the hospital's medicine stock.