VS demands probe into unethical clinical trial

Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan said that cases should be registered against those responsible for carrying out unethical clinical trials on patients in the state and demanded immediate investigation by a high-level police team into the issue.

He said that by subjecting patients to clinical trial without their prior permission, the private hospital authorities had treated them as guinea pigs. “Reports say that in the past five years, around one lakh patients were subjected to clinical trials. Also, a section of media had reported that around 300 medicines were tested on patients and hundreds of people died owing to clinical trials. If the allegations are found true, then murder charges should be pressed against those responsible,” said Achuthanandan.

He also alleged that in the name of free medical camps, some of the private hospitals in the state were carrying out clinical trials on patients and this should also be brought under the ambit of probe.

“Strict rules should be enforced to conduct medical camps by private hospitals so that such incidents won’t be repeated in future,” he said.

Meanwhile, the State Government has decided to constitute an expert committee to look into charges of unethical clinical trials on patients.

Health Minister V S Sivakumar has asked the health secretary to set up the committee. On Thursday, the police had sealed Health and Research Centre (HRC), a private medical firm near the Medical College Hospital here after the media reports came out, which said that around 47 unethical clinical trials were conducted by the firm without mandatory sanction.