Thiruvananthapuram, November 14, 2025 – The Kerala Health Department has directed the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited (KMSCL) to withdraw the two-year blacklisting imposed on Healer's Lab, an Uttar Pradesh-based pharmaceutical company that was accused of supplying paracetamol tablets contaminated with metal fragments.
Healer's Lab was blacklisted in June 2025 following a complaint from a patient at the Community Health Centre (CHC) at Narikkuni in Kozhikode district. The complaint alleged that a metal piece was found embedded inside a paracetamol tablet supplied by the company. An internal inquiry by the Health Department initially confirmed the complaint, that lead KMSCL to bar the firm from participating in the government tenders for two years.
According to an investigation, directed by the State Drugs Controller showed that X-ray imaging revealed that the foreign particle was radiopaque, suggesting a metallic composition.
The detailed investigation also reported receiving multiple complaints from healthcare institutions across Kerala regarding Paracetamol IP 500mg tablets manufactured and supplied by Healer's Lab during 2023-24. Additionally, 15 batches of the company's paracetamol tablets were declared "Not of Standard Quality" (NSQ) following statutory analysis by the Drugs Control Department.
The corporation noted that the impression of the object was clearly visible on the inner side of the broken tablet and that such an object could not have been inserted into a fully formulated tablet by human intervention.
Healer's Lab challenged the blacklisting order in the Kerala High Court, which directed the state government to review the decision within three months while allowing the firm to participate in tenders floated by other authorities.
During a personal hearing held in October 2025, company representatives argued that the government failed to conclusively prove the defective tablet originated from their manufacturing line.
The firm emphasized that the sample was not provided in its original intact blister pack, making authentication difficult. Healer's Lab also highlighted its track record, stating it had supplied over 20 crore paracetamol tablets in 2023-24 without any prior quality complaints of this nature.
Despite KMSCL's findings, the Health Department identified several procedural shortcomings that prevented establishing liability beyond reasonable doubt.
The government noted that the tablet with the metal piece was verified solely through physical examination and X-ray imaging, without drawing batch samples for comprehensive quality analysis.
Critically, the medical officer at CHC Narikkuni handed over the evidence sample to KMSCL only one month after filing the complaint, significantly hindering the verification process. The Health and Family Welfare Department's order stated: "These actions hinder establishing the fact beyond doubt that the alleged tablet was manufactured by the firm and entitle the firm to the benefit of doubt."
The government also considered the broader impact of the blacklisting on Healer's Lab, which operates on a pan-India basis. The ban effectively prevented the company from participating in tenders across multiple states, affecting its business operations nationwide.
The relief granted to Healer's Lab stands in stark contrast to Kerala's intensified surveillance on medicine quality. On November 6, 2025, state authorities banned the sale and distribution of 14 batches of allopathic and Ayurvedic drugs like Yogaraja Gulgulu, that failed routine quality tests conducted in October 2025.
The State Drugs Controller has ordered all medical traders and hospitals to immediately return the affected stocks to suppliers and inform district drug control offices. The banned products, manufactured across Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Assam, and Nagaland, include antibiotics, painkillers, diabetic medicines, and traditional Ayurvedic formulations.
Officials also reported that these were routine tests, and that stern action would be taken against any manufacturer found to be violating the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
(Rh/VK/MSM)