AIIMS Delhi has debarred two medical suppliers for two years after repeated complaints over defective syringes and Yankauer suction sets raised concerns about patient safety.
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Insects in syringes, broken needles, blood-stained needle hubs, fungal contamination, needle dislocation, internal breakage and cracked plungers causing leakage. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi recently debarred two medical suppliers for two years after the problems persisted across multiple batches and repeated complaints were received from doctors and staff.AIIMS said the complaints were received from multiple user departments, including the National Centre for Ageing block lab, Trauma ICU, Ortho operation theatre, IVF operation theatre, Mother and Child Block and emergency medicine department. The institute said the defects were not isolated and that complaints continued even after the defective stock was replaced.Two of the debarment orders reviewed by The Hindu Businessline show that AIIMS took action against suppliers of disposable syringes and Yankaur suction sets, a medical device used to clear secretions, blood, and other body fluids from a patient’s mouth, throat, or surgical site, with the institute concluding that repeated supply of defective material posed risks to patient safety and that contractual obligations had not been satisfactorily discharged.Repeated defects in disposable syringesIn the case of Tirupati Medilines Pvt Ltd, which was the L-1 bidder and contractual supplier of disposable 5 ml syringes with needles, AIIMS said Cardiomac India Pvt Ltd manufactured the syringes under the brand Dispo. The contract was awarded through GeM in December 2024.The first complaint was received on March 3, 2025, following which AIIMS issued a warning directing replacement within 48 hours. “But even after replacement, complaints continued over defects including insects inside syringes, broken needles, blood-stained needle hubs and fungal contamination. Further complaints included needle dislocation, internal breakage and cracked plungers that caused leakage,” according to the notice issued by AIIMS to Tirupati Medilines.AIIMS issued a second warning on March 22, warning that recurrence would invite strict administrative action, including debarment. Tirupati subsequently assured the institute that the defective stocks would be replaced and said the original equipment manufacturer had assured improved quality. However, complaints continued.AIIMS recorded another major complaint from the IVF operation theatre on May 1, followed by a complaint from the emergency medicine department on May 14. A show-cause notice was issued on June 4, 2025, followed by a debarring notice in August 2025.AIIMS rejects distributor’s defenceDuring the proceedings, Tirupati said it was only an authorised distributor, had no manufacturing role, that the supplies carried the OEM’s quality certificates and that complaints were forwarded to the manufacturer, the AIIMS notice observed. It also said replacements were made whenever complaints arose.AIIMS rejected this defence, saying Tirupati was the original contractual entity with the institute and therefore remained responsible.The Personal Hearing Committee concluded that the bidder had failed to ensure quality compliance and satisfactorily discharge its contractual obligations. AIIMS said the repeated failures adversely affected patient safety, clinical efficiency, institutional credibility and procurement integrity.Tirupati was consequently debarred from participating in all present and future AIIMS tenders relating to disposable 5 ml syringes with needles and equivalent category items for two years from the date of the order.Yankauer suction sets also face repeated failuresIn a separate case, Taarini Medicare Inc., the L-1 bidder and distributor of Yankauer suction sets supplied to AIIMS, was debarred for 2 years due to repeated failures of the equipment used in critical surgical and patient care services. The sets were manufactured by Life-O-Line Technologist.Complaints were initially received from operation theatres in October 2024 and again in December, with users reporting poor suction performance and problems with material quality. AIIMS instructed the distributor to replace the defective stock within five days. The firm subsequently informed the institute that the stock had been replaced. The company told AIIMS that the complained-of stocks had been replaced, including 565 units, but further complaints followed till March 2025.AIIMS specifically said the defect was “not minor or cosmetic in nature”, noting that the tubing collapsed under negative pressure and interrupted suction flow during surgery. According to the institute, such a failure could compromise visibility of the surgical field, delay critical intervention and pose a direct risk to patient safety.The institute said the recurrence of complaints across multiple batches established that the quality problem was systemic rather than confined to a single batch.Published on August 15, 2026
