NHRC asks AIIMS to respond on drugs trial on babies

The National Human Rights Commission today asked the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to respond within four weeks to a complaint filed by an NGO against reported use of drugs meant for adults on children during clinical trials.     

Falling short of issuing a notice, the NHRC forwarded the complaint registered by an NGO to the AIIMS, seeking its comments on the issue.     

"The NHRC has forwarded the complaint to the AIIMS Director, besides the Secretary, Ministry of Health and asked them to send their comments within four weeks," an NHRC official said.     

The NGO, whose RTI query had led to the startling disclosures about clinical trial deaths at AIIMS, sought the intervention of NHRC in the case following reports that adult drugs had been tried on babies at the premier medical institute.     

In the petition submitted to NHRC, Uday Foundation invoked the violation of right to life contained in Article 21 of the constitution.     

It was revealed last week that 49 children died during clinical trials of new medicines in AIIMS over the last two and a half years.

A total of 4,142 children, of whom 2,728 were under the age of one, were enrolled for the trials of new drugs and therapies by the Department of Pediatrics since January one, 2006.      

Reports also suggested that children involved in clinical trials mostly belonged to the weaker sections of society.