Broken glass in vaccine vials:

Ministry requests CID probe

The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry has requested the CID to probe the incident where pieces of broken glass were found in vials of vaccine.

Strict legal action will also be taken against suppliers and manufactures of medicine not suitable for use if found at fault, Health Ministry sources said.

Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry officials held a meeting on Saturday in connection with the discovery of pieces of broken glass inside two vials containing vaccines at the Ratnapura Teaching Hospital and also at Elpitiya Base Hospital last week.

The meeting attended by officials of the Ministry, Drugs Quality Control Authority and Medical Supplies Division.

Attention was paid to ascertain whether these few incidents were acts of sabotage and also to investigate the matter. Officials were also probing if this was an act of sabotage. The Health Ministry has decided to withdraw these vaccination drugs from all the hospitals.

The Health Ministry has also requested the Criminal Investigation Department to probe into these instances of recovery of foreign objects in vaccination vials.

The Ministry has also decided to take action against the manufacturing concerns of these drugs which supplied these vaccination vials containing glass pieces.

The Ministry also decided to take legal action against companies if it has found that these foreign objects found their way in the manufacturing process. It was also decided to cancel the agreement of the drug supply in that event.