Kota maternal deaths: Oxytocin batch by Jackson Labs found substandard; statewide ban imposed
Synopsis
A batch of Oxytocin injections supplied to Kota hospitals was found to contain zero active ingredient — yet medical experts say that is precisely why it likely did not kill anyone. The Kota maternal deaths probe is widening, with the real cause still undetermined even as nearly 12,500 women reportedly received the fake drug over four months.
Key Takeaways
A batch of Oxytocin injections by Jackson Laboratories was found to contain no active ingredient after Central Drugs Laboratory testing.
Rajasthan has imposed an immediate statewide ban on the affected batch; disciplinary action initiated against the company.
Nearly 12,500 women reportedly received the injections over a four-month period during childbirth procedures.
Authorities seized 2,479 injections from Kota Medical College, 72 from J.K.
Lon Hospital, and 950 from the supplier.
Medical experts, including gynaecologist Dr.
Ritika Mathur and Drug Controller Ajay Phatak , say the injection is unlikely to have directly caused the deaths of the five women in Kota.
An AIIMS Delhi expert team visited Kota; reports for the remaining 21 medications have returned normal.
A batch of Oxytocin injections manufactured by Jackson Laboratories has been found substandard during laboratory testing linked to the investigation into maternal deaths in Kota, Rajasthan, officials confirmed on 26 May. Authorities have imposed an immediate statewide ban on the sale and use of the affected batch and initiated disciplinary proceedings against the pharmaceutical company.
Key Developments in the Kota Probe
Rajasthan Principal Secretary (Health) Gayatri Rathore confirmed that disciplinary proceedings are underway against the pharma company. Authorities have directed hospitals, pharmacies, and medical stores across the state to remove the affected injections from their inventories. An investigation is also underway to determine whether the drug was administered to other pregnant women admitted to hospitals in the region.
According to an official Drug Alert issued by the Rajasthan Food Safety and Drug Control Commissionerate, the sample failed quality testing conducted by the Central Drugs Laboratory. Investigators confirmed that the Oxytocin content in the tested sample was found to be completely absent — meaning the injections lacked the required active ingredient entirely.
Scale of the Affected Supply
Assistant Drug Controller Devendra Kumar Garg said that the firm Rajasthan Medical Hall had supplied the injections to hospitals in Kota through local procurement channels. According to Garg, over a four-month period, the injections had reportedly been administered to nearly 12,500 women during childbirth procedures.
Following receipt of the drug testing report, authorities seized the remaining stock. Officials confiscated 2,479 injections from the store of Kota Medical College, valued at approximately ₹25,000. Another 72 injections were seized from J.K. Lon Hospital, and nearly 950 injections held by the supplier for further distribution were also confiscated. Authorities are now investigating whether the same batch was distributed to other hospitals or entered the open market.
What Medical Experts Say
Medical experts have cautioned against directly linking the substandard injections to the deaths. Gynaecologist Dr. Ritika Mathur said the possibility of the injection directly causing the maternal deaths appeared highly unlikely. She noted that one of the deceased women, identified as Shirin, had reportedly not been administered the injection at all, yet also suffered kidney failure and later died.
Dr. Mathur pointed out that Oxytocin is primarily used to induce labour and stimulate uterine contractions during normal deliveries, and questioned why the batch alone was being implicated when several women undergoing normal deliveries had reportedly received the same injections without complications. She said the role of fluids administered alongside anaesthesia during caesarean procedures should also be investigated. 'This injection cannot be the cause of these deaths,' she said.
Rajasthan Drug Controller Ajay Phatak stated: 'This injection is administered for normal delivery. Women who died in Kota underwent Cesarean deliveries. An investigation is underway to determine whether or not they were administered this injection. The concerned batch has been suspended. The reports for the remaining 21 medications are normal.'
AIIMS Delhi Team and Background
The controversy intensified following the deaths of five women during treatment in Kota. A team from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi subsequently visited Kota to conduct an inquiry. The expert team recommended that all medicines administered to the patients be tested before drawing any conclusions regarding the cause of deaths. Samples were collected and sent for laboratory analysis, leading to the discovery of the substandard Oxytocin batch.
What Happens Next
Investigations into the broader maternal deaths case are continuing. Authorities are widening the probe to trace the full distribution chain of the affected batch, while the drug controller's office has confirmed that test reports for the remaining 21 medications administered to the patients have returned normal. The findings have triggered serious concern within the State Medical Department and Drug Control authorities, and the outcome of the disciplinary proceedings against Jackson Laboratories is awaited.
Point of View
500 women — is a systemic procurement failure, not merely a rogue batch. The more unsettling question the investigation has not yet answered is what actually killed five women in Kota if not the drug. A substandard injection that contains nothing cannot cause kidney failure; something else in the clinical chain can. Rajasthan's drug surveillance system failed to catch this batch at the point of entry, and the state's procurement and quality-check protocols for hospital-supplied medicines deserve as much scrutiny as Jackson Laboratories itself.
NationPress
8 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was found wrong with the Oxytocin batch in the Kota maternal deaths case?
Laboratory testing by the Central Drugs Laboratory found that the Oxytocin batch manufactured by Jackson Laboratories contained no active ingredient whatsoever. The batch was supplied to hospitals in Kota through local procurement channels and has since been banned statewide.
Did the substandard Oxytocin injections cause the deaths of the five women in Kota?
Medical experts say it is highly unlikely. Gynaecologist Dr. Ritika Mathur noted that one deceased woman, Shirin, had reportedly not received the injection at all yet still died of kidney failure. Drug Controller Ajay Phatak also stated the injection — used for normal deliveries — is unlikely to have caused deaths in women who underwent caesarean procedures.
How many women were affected by the suspect Oxytocin batch?
According to Assistant Drug Controller Devendra Kumar Garg, the injections were reportedly administered to nearly 12,500 women during childbirth procedures over a four-month period before the batch was flagged.
What action has the Rajasthan government taken against Jackson Laboratories?
Rajasthan Principal Secretary (Health) Gayatri Rathore confirmed that disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against Jackson Laboratories. An immediate statewide ban has been imposed on the affected batch, and hospitals, pharmacies, and medical stores have been ordered to remove the injections from their inventories.
What is the current status of the broader Kota maternal deaths investigation?
An AIIMS Delhi expert team visited Kota and recommended testing all medicines given to the patients before drawing conclusions. Reports for the remaining 21 medications have returned normal. Authorities are continuing to investigate the full distribution chain of the substandard batch and the actual cause of the five deaths.
