Family Alleges ₹41,000 Expired Injection Was Used at Varanasi Hospital

VARANASI: The family of a 58-year-old patient has accused a private hospital in the Nakkhighat area of administering an injection that had expired in May, prompting a confrontation at the facility and a call for a formal health-department inquiry.

The patient, identified in local reporting as Balmukund Yadav of Ghoghwa village in the Saidpur area of Ghazipur, was admitted on August 6 after suffering paralysis symptoms. His relatives allege that the hospital later used a 20 mg thrombolytic injection priced at roughly ₹41,000 and that the date printed on the vial showed it was no longer within its approved shelf life.

Police called after dispute

Relatives said they discovered the date while examining the vial and treatment documents. The disagreement then escalated inside the hospital, drawing other people to the premises. Sarnath police reached the location after being informed and asked the family to submit a written complaint so that the relevant records could be examined.

The hospital had not released a public explanation at the time of publication. The family’s allegation therefore remains an allegation, not a concluded finding. A proper inquiry will need to secure the vial, batch number, purchase and storage records, medication chart and CCTV footage, and record statements from the clinicians and pharmacy personnel who handled the drug.

Why the medicine matters

Doctors use thrombolytic medicines in selected emergencies to dissolve blood clots and restore blood flow. Their timing, dosage, storage and suitability depend on the patient’s condition and clinical protocol. The seriousness of the claimed lapse lies not only in the price of the medicine but in the need for a hospital to verify every drug before it reaches a patient.

Varanasi Chief Medical Officer Dr NP Singh told local media that the matter had come to his notice. He said a team could be constituted and strict action considered if the family or the responsible area official lodged a complaint. That route would allow health authorities to examine both patient safety and compliance with pharmacy procedures.

The family has asked for accountability and an explanation of the patient’s treatment. The case now requires a documented medical review rather than argument at the hospital gate. Until records are examined, it would be premature to decide whether the incident resulted from a dispensing error, a documentation dispute or another failure. What is already clear is that the allegation is serious enough to demand preservation of evidence and a prompt, transparent response from the hospital and health department.

Patient-safety complaints are easiest to resolve when records are sealed early. The family should receive copies of the medication chart and bill, and the inquiry team should

a factual summary without disclosing private clinical details. A timely finding would help the patient, protect other families and give the hospital a fair opportunity to answer evidence rather than rumours.