Delhi suspends seven officials over anti-rabies vaccine storage lapses in Janakpuri
The Delhi government on Saturday suspended seven officials, including five pharmacists, following an investigation that revealed serious irregularities in the procurement, storage, and management of medicines at a Central Procurement Agency (CPA) warehouse in Janakpuri, West Delhi. The administrative action was taken after it was revealed that a massive consignment of over 1.27 lakh vials of life-saving anti-rabies vaccines could not be delivered to the city's public healthcare facilities due to a lack of adequate cold storage capacity at the designated government facility.
The issue came to light following a letter sent by the Serum Institute of India to the CPA, which flagged that the Janakpuri warehouse lacked the necessary cold storage infrastructure to accommodate the incoming vaccine consignment. This delivery failure comes at a critical time for Delhi, which has been grappling with a surge in stray dog attacks and rising rabies risks. The urgency of the situation was previously highlighted last year when the Supreme Court expressed concern over the rising number of such incidents in the national capital.
In response to the storage and procurement issues, the Delhi government initiated an inquiry into the functioning of various CPA stores on Saturday. According to the Chief Minister’s Office, the probe uncovered serious lapses and irregularities in how medicines were being managed, procured, and stored across multiple locations.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated that the administration has adopted a "zero-tolerance" policy against corruption and administrative negligence. In an official statement, Chief Minister Gupta emphasized that corruption, negligence, or irregularities at any level of the administration would not be tolerated, and she promised that strict action would continue against any officer or employee found guilty of misconduct.
The government confirmed that the seven officials have been suspended pending further proceedings. Officials stated that accountability will be fixed and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against those responsible for the lapses. The CPA serves as the nodal agency responsible for procuring and supplying medicines, vaccines, and medical equipment to Delhi government hospitals and healthcare facilities. The government reiterated that maintaining transparency and efficiency in these processes is critical to safeguarding public healthcare services.
