HYDERABAD: One infant was brought dead and twenty-two infants are admitted into Niloufer hospital in Hyderabad under critical condition, after they were allegedly given wrong medication after administration of the pentavalent vaccine, by staff of Nampally urban primary health centre (PHC). 

The alleged human error is said to be because of "similar packaging" of the two drugs available at the PHC for paracetamol and tramadol, that led to the staff getting confused and giving the wrong tablet.

Three of the 22 admitted infants have been kept on ventilator support while others are under observation on the intensive care unit. 

Superintendent of Niloufer hospital, Dr Murali Krishna told TNIE that as per norms, after children are administered the pentavalent vaccine, in order to control fever that may arise due to the vaccination one-fourth of paracetamol is supposed to be given. 

However, at Nampally primary health centre the staff allegedly gave the parents tramadol instead of paracetamol to be administered to the infants in case they have a fever, because apparently, the brand of paracetamol and tramadol available there had similar packaging. Tramadol is an opioid pain killer. 

According to Nampally MLA Jaffer Hussain, who visited the hospital, the infants were given vaccine on Wednesday morning. 

Around Wednesday afternoon parents gave their children the Tramadol tablets given to them by staff at Nampally, following which there were complications in the children. 

It was around Wednesday midnight and Thursday morning, the parents realized the seriousness of the matter and started bringing their children to Niloufer hospital.