MP: Govt Doctor Arrested Over Cough Syrup Tragedy
Dr. Praveen Soni, a pediatrician at the government hospital, had prescribed the syrup to children visiting his private clinic in Parasia; Congress demands MP health minister’s resignation
Bhopal/New Delhi/ Jaipur: In the aftermath of deaths of children linked to ”toxic” cough syrup in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the Union health ministry on Sunday held a high-level meeting with all states and UTs to review compliance with drug quality norms and promote the rational use of cough syrups among paediatric populations. Meanwhile in Madhya Pradesh, a government doctor who prescribed the cough syrup, linked to the deaths of 11 children in the Chhindwara district, has been arrested. And the state government has banned the sale of Coldrif cough syrup following the death of children.
Dr Praveen Soni, who worked as a paediatrician at the civil hospital in Parasia in Chhindwara district, was arrested late on Saturday by a special team constituted by the local superintendent of police, officials said.
The arrest follows the registration of FIRs against Dr Soni and the Chennai-based Sresan Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Coldrif cough syrup, suspected to have caused the death of the children, under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nayaya Sanhita (BNS). Dr Soni was also placed under suspension.
The suspension order issued by health commissioner Tarun Rathi said that ‘Dr Praveen Soni…was found to be conducting private practice, during which he prescribed certain medicines to infants brought to him for treatment. After consuming the prescribed medicines, several of these children developed high fever and difficulty in urination, following which some of them tragically died. The inquiry into the matter revealed that Dr Sonia prescribed medicines that adversely affected the kidneys of the infants, leading to their deaths."
Meanwhile, two more children died of kidney failure, suspected to be induced by consumption of Coldrif syrup in the last 72 hours, taking the death toll in the incident to 11. Laboratory tests have confirmed the presence of diethylene glycol (DEG), a toxic chemical, at the level of 48.6 per cent.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday announced financial assistance of Rs 4 lakhs each to the next kin of the 11 slain children. All expenses on treatment of the children undergoing treatment will also be borne by the state government. The state government has meanwhile constituted a joint investigation team to probe the matter. Sources said that the probe focuses on the nexus of supply chain and prescription of the contaminated drug.
The Madhya Pradesh government has also banned the sale of Coldrif cough syrup following the death of children in Chhindwara due to suspected renal failure, with officials stating the drug samples were found to contain a highly toxic substance. At the high-level meeting under the chairmanship of Union health secretary Punya Salila Srivastava with all states and Union territories to review compliance with drug quality norms and promote the rational use of cough syrups, especially in paediatric populations, the government asserted strict compliance with the revised Schedule M by all drug manufacturers.
During the meeting, states were also advised to ensure rational use of cough syrups, particularly among children, as most coughs are self-limiting and do not require pharmacological treatment. The advisory issued by the DGHS on the rational use of cough syrups in paediatric populations was also discussed.
According to the health ministry statement, it was also informed that risk-based inspections (RBI) have been initiated across 19 manufacturing units in six states to identify systemic gaps and strengthen quality assurance mechanisms.
At the meeting, Rajasthan's principal secretary (health) informed that the state's investigation so far indicates that the deaths of four children are not linked to the quality of cough syrup and that an awareness generation campaign is being conducted for rational use of paediatric formulation.
Hitting out at the BJP governments in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan over the alleged deaths of children after consuming cough syrup, the Congress alleged "corruption and neglect".
Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot alleged, "Instead of taking responsibility for these deaths, the state government is not even acknowledging them. This shows that corruption in the Rajasthan BJP government has reached a level where they do not even care about human lives," he said.
The Congress’ Madhya Pradesh unit demanded the resignation of state health minister Rajendra Shukla for the death of the children due to alleged consumption of contaminated syrup.
