The latest action comes against the backdrop of other procurement-quality issues at AIIMS
Repeated complaints of visible contamination in intravenous (IV) fluids, including particulate matter and fungal contamination, have prompted the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, to continue the two-year debarment of pharmaceutical company Pentagon Labs Ltd from participating in its tenders and contracts.
The latest action comes against the backdrop of other procurement-quality issues at AIIMS.
businessline had earlier reported that AIIMS Delhi debarred two medical suppliers over defective syringes and suction sets, highlighting concerns over the quality of medical consumables supplied to the institute. The action against Pentagon Labs is the latest in a series of procurement-quality actions at AIIMS Delhi involving critical medical supplies.
Persistent complaints
In an order dated September 22, AIIMS said complaints had persisted despite earlier warnings and opportunities given to the company to improve the quality of its supplies. The debarment will remain in force until September 26, 2027.
The products against which fresh complaints were received included Ringer Lactate 500 ml glass, N/5 500 ml glass, 20 per cent Mannitol 100 ml plastic, DNS 0.9 per cent 500 ml glass, NS 500 ml glass and DNS 0.33 per cent 500 ml glass. The order lists specific batches of each product.
AIIMS had initially debarred Pentagon Labs in September 2025 and terminated its contract for four products — DNS 0.9 per cent 500 ml glass, Dextrose 50 per cent 100 ml glass, Dextrose 5 per cent 500 ml glass and 20 per cent Mannitol 100 ml glass.
The company represented against the action, following which a committee recommended reducing the debarment period to six months, subject to satisfactory quality performance. Pentagon also approached the Delhi High Court, which directed AIIMS to reconsider the company’s representation afresh.
However, while the matter was being reconsidered, AIIMS said it received further complaints regarding other IV-fluid products supplied by the company. It subsequently issued a show-cause notice on August 11, 2026, and held a personal hearing on August 17.
Logistics issues
During the hearing, Pentagon acknowledged the complaints and suggested that the contamination could have occurred because of logistics-related issues. He also pointed to a warning printed on the bottles advising users to examine the solution before use and not use it if it was leaking or contained particulate matter or fungal contamination.
AIIMS, however, said responsibility for the condition of the product could not be shifted to transportation.
The institute also said that despite previous assurances from Pentagon to strengthen quality checks on packaging and third-party components such as glass bottles and corks, “no such improvement has been noticed.”
The order said the complaints had expanded to other products and recorded “persistent complaints of contamination in IV fluids supplied by Pentagons Labs Ltd.”
Published on September 27, 2026
