The Drugs department raided an Ayush firm after 10 children allegedly died after consuming Coldrif cough syrup, in Chhindwara recently.
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ANI
Doctors have come out in support of the paediatrician in Madhya Pradesh who has been arrested, following the death of over 10 children possibly from contaminated cough syrup.
Calling it a “classical example of legal illiteracy” by authorities including the police, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) said in a strongly worded statement, “The arrest of (the) doctor in haste, just after the report of BMO (block medical officer), precisely shows an attempt to divert the attention of the people from the faults of regulatory bodies and the concerned pharmaceutical company.”
The Association called for action against “the actual culprits” and compensation for the affected families and “the doctor who is a victim of defamation,” it said. An FIR was lodged at Parasia police station on Saturday against the paediatrician at the Community Health Centre in the town, besides the directors of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, IMA said.
“Pharmaceutical-grade glycerin and propylene glycol required for manufacturing cough syrups are expensive. Toxic substances such as industrial-grade DEG (Diethylene glycol) and ethylene glycol (EG) are cheaper and visually indistinguishable. If quality control fails at the level of both the manufacturer and the regulator, cough syrups produced by a few companies may end up containing toxic substances capable of causing kidney failure and death in young children,” the IMA said.
The prescribing doctor has no way of knowing whether a medicine is contaminated until adverse outcomes are reported among patients, IMA said, adding, regulation must be foolproof to prevent such tragedies. “Many people purchase cough syrups over the counter without a doctor’s recommendation, which means far more children consume them than medically necessary. In most cases, coughs and colds resolve on their own without any syrup. When a doctor does prescribe one it is based on clinical assessment of the child.”
Wrong message
“In the given case CDSCO and MPFDA failed to monitor the concentration of DEG in the alleged cough syrup. The response of both the Central and State authorities are creating problems instead of instilling confidence in the minds of the public. Arresting a doctor who has the mandate and privilege to prescribe a drug as approved by competent authorities has sent a wrong message,” the IMA said.
“The onus of the death of these hapless children falls squarely on the manufacturers and the authorities. Intimidation of the medical profession is uncalled for and will be resisted,” the IMA said.
Weak regulatory system
The doctors also pointed out that the Mashelkar Report (2003) noted, “The problems in the regulatory system in the country were primarily due to inadequate or weak drug control infrastructure at the State and Central level, inadequate testing facilities, shortage of drug inspectors, non-uniformity of enforcement, lack of specially trained cadres for specific regulatory areas, non-existence of data bank and non-availability of accurate information.”
The IMA said, doctors are apprehensive after “indiscriminate action against a bonafide doctor.” The IMA pointed out,” This is a clear cut case of a spurious drug as defined in the section 17 B of the Drugs and Cosmetic Act. (Sec 17 B. d: it has been substituted wholly or in part by another drug or substance). Approval of the said cough syrup, monitoring of the quality and the content of the same squarely fall within the ambit of the Drugs regulatory system. Once the drug has been approved and made available in the market registered medical practitioner is the legitimate authority in prescribing any drug.”
Published on October 6, 2025
