State told to pay ₹1.25 lakh compensation to patients administered expired Hepatitis-B vaccines

Over a decade after many patients were administered expired Hepatitis-B vaccines at government-run Gandhi Hospital, the Telangana Human Rights Commission (THRC) has ordered the State government to pay ₹1.25 lakh in compensation to each of the victims.

The Commission, in its order dated July 4, also called for strict action against hospital authorities and a complete overhaul of medicine procurement and verification protocols in government hospitals.

The incident, which came to light through complaints filed in 2014 and 2015, involved 16 individuals who suffered adverse effects after being given expired vaccines at the hospital’s Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) Centre of Excellence.

The complainants alleged that Dr. V. Tara Devi, a Research Fellow at the centre, administered the vaccines despite their expiry, leading to dizziness, stomach pain, drowsiness, and significant mental distress.

The THRC also took suo motu cognisance of a newspaper report published in 2015, which revealed irregularities in the hospital’s medicine supply system. Its investigation found that the vaccines were indeed expired, and that the packaging displayed two conflicting expiry dates, one for the vaccine and another for the syringe. While hospital authorities claimed the administration was unintentional and blamed the manufacturer for the unclear labelling, the Commission rejected the explanation, holding the hospital accountable for failing in its basic and non-negotiable duty to verify expiry dates before drug administration.

The Commission found the hospital superintendent’s report defending the act to be motivated by a desire to shield the hospital staff. It also dismissed the claim that the expired vaccines had low potency and were therefore harmless, calling it medically unfounded.

Justice Shameem Akther, Chairperson of the THRC, held that the victims’ fundamental rights to health, dignity, and bodily integrity were violated. He noted that although Dr. Tara Devi had been suspended, disciplinary action alone was not sufficient to address the seriousness of the breach.

The Commission directed the Chief Secretary of Telangana to initiate proceedings against all responsible officials, including the hospital’s Superintendent and supervising staff. It further asked the government to ensure that expired or nearly expired drugs are not accepted at any government-run healthcare facility. Suppliers must be made to print clear and prominent expiry dates on both the outer wrapper and internal containers of all medical supplies. The State government has been given two months from the date of the order to implement the recommendations in full.