Centre Bans HCG Hospital Bengaluru Ethics Committee For 2 Years Over Clinical Trial Violations
The Union Government has ordered a two-year ban on the Ethics Committee of HealthCare Global Enterprises Limited (HCG), a prominent cancer research institute in Bengaluru. The ban prohibits HCG from conducting any clinical trials for the next 24 months.
The action follows a controversy that erupted in July 2025 when the then Ethics Committee Chairman Justice P Krishna Bhat resigned after the institute failed to act on his findings regarding clinical trial discrepancies. Subsequently, the Institute CEO and several surgeons also resigned. Karnataka's Health Minister requested a central investigation into the matter.
A Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation investigation revealed multiple violations between 2021 and 2025. At least nine patients died during trials, but HCG failed to report these deaths to the government. In one case, a patient fell ill during a trial but was sent to the out-patient section instead of receiving emergency care, resulting in death within 24 hours. The hospital concealed this incident for ten months.
