The intelligence wing of the Kerala drugs control department yesterday seized a few batches of 20,000 units of 500 mg Cloxacillin IP vials from two leading government hospitals in Thiruvananthapuram, following sample tests found that the drug supplied as per the government purchase norms was of inferior quality.

The drug, stored at the Sree Avittam Thirunal Child Hospital (SAT) and the Medical College, belongs to K 304 and 301 batches of Cloxacillin IP injection manufactured by the Modern Laboratories of Indore.

Following complaints of infection caused to a patient last week, the SAT authorities informed the drugs control department to check the efficacy of the drug. The sample tests carried out at the Thiruvananthapuram drugs control laboratory revealed that the drug failed in sterility and bacterio endotoxin tests.

Last week, a 10 year old boy, who was administered with an injection for pneumonia at the SAT hospital, later developed severe infection causing burning sensation and disfiguring of his fingers. The hospital authorities suspected this was due to the poor quality of the drug and informed the drugs control department.