The Calcutta High Court on Thursday ordered the West Bengal government to provide compensation to the families of the victims who were allegedly administered expired Ringer’s Lactate saline in the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital, in Paschim Medinipur, last Friday, leaving one dead and three in critical condition.

The deceased was identified as Mamoni Das (21), while the three new mothers who are critical were shifted to SSKM hospital in Kolkata on Sunday night.

A division bench of Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Hirnamay Bhattacharya has sought a report over what action has been taken against the saline supplier company and why it took “so long after the incident” to stop its usage.

The state counsel submitted that an expert team of 13 doctors has been formed to conduct an investigation into the lapses and the CID has also been asked to investigate the matter, following which the division bench ordered the state to submit a report on the progress of the investigation.

The report, which is to be submitted by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, “should elaborate on the details of actions” taken against the Ringer’s Lactate supplying entity Paschim Banga Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd, which was blacklisted first by the Karnataka government and subsequently by the West Bengal government, the court said.

Meanwhile, the state health department has already ordered the removal of the health special secretary to the state Chaitali Chakraborty in connection with the incident.

On Monday, two Public Interest Litigations (PIL) were moved in the Chief Justice’s division bench against the use of Ringer Lactate saline, demanding a CBI probe into the incident.

On December 10, Bengal drug authorities had pasted a notice on the gate of the company’s Chopra factory saying the facility had been asked to stop manufacturing drugs till further orders.