14 children dead in MP: Doctor arrested; FIR against him, cough syrup manufacturer
Chhindwara (PTI): Police have arrested a doctor for alleged negligence and registered a case against the manufacturer of a 'toxic' cough syrup after the death of 14 children in Chhindwara due to suspected renal failure, officials said on Sunday.
The Madhya Pradesh government has banned the sale of Coldrif cough syrup, with officials stating the drug samples have been found to contain a highly toxic substance.
Of the children who died, 11 were from Parasia sub-division, two from Chhindwara city and one from Chaurai tehsil.
The Coldrif cough syrup, manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceutical, Kancheepuram (Tamil Nadu), has been blamed for the death of 11 children in Parasia area of Chhindwara district, Superintendent of Police Ajay Pandey told reporters.
A case has been registered at Parasia police station against the company and Dr Praveen Soni, who, despite being a government doctor here, was practising at a private clinic and prescribed the syrup, he said.
A special team from Kotwali police arrested Dr Soni from Rajpal Chowk in Chhindwara late Saturday night after the FIR was registered against him, the SP said.
The doctor has been booked for negligence and prescribing the medicine even after its adverse effects on children for nearly a month. The manufacturer had been charged as it was supplying contaminated syrup, as per the test report, Pandey told PTI.
The government on Sunday also suspended Dr Soni from service. He has been attached to the health department regional officer in Jabalpur, as per an order.
MP Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Saturday said strict action will be taken against those responsible.
The doctor and the company have been charged under sections 276 (adulteration of drugs - punishable with up to one year in jail) and 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder - carrying a maximum punishment of 10 years) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
They have also been booked under section 27A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, which prescribes over 10 years' imprisonment or life term for using adulterated drugs causing death, according to police.
On Saturday, the government sanctioned a financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh for the families of each of the 14 deceased children.
The Tamil Nadu drug control authorities, in their report dated October 2, declared the Coldrif syrup sample (Batch No SR-13; Mfg: May 2025; Exp: April 2027) manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceuticals, Kancheepuram, as adulterated because it contained diethylene glycol (48.6% w/v), a poisonous substance "which may render the contents injurious to health".
Following the report, the Madhya Pradesh Food and Drug Administration issued instructions to stop further sale and distribution of Coldrif statewide and immediately seize any available stock for investigation under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. It also ordered that other products manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceuticals be removed from sale pending testing.
The Tamil Nadu government on Friday banned Coldrif following reports of deaths in Madhya Pradesh and at least three similar fatalities in Rajasthan due to suspected kidney infections.
Samples from the affected children have been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune, while further tests on the syrup's adulteration and contamination are underway.
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has also initiated risk-based inspections at the manufacturing units of 19 drugs, including cough syrups and antibiotics, across six states, the Union health ministry said on Saturday.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
FIR registered against nurse, doc, pvt hospital mgt after finger of infant partially severed
Bengaluru (PTI): A case was registered against the nurse, doctor and management of a private hospital here for alleged negligence after the finger of a six-month-old baby boy was partially severed during the discharge process, police said on Wednesday.
According to police, in his complaint, Vijay Kumar said that on February 19, he took his six-month-old child to a private hospital in Indiranagar here for consultation after he developed fever and cold. As per the doctor's advise, he was admitted for further treatment at about 10.57 am.
He was to be discharged at 3 pm on February 24 and accordingly, the hospital bill was paid while the discharge process was going on in the ward.
At the time of discharge, the nurse on duty removed the drip. While removing the dressing, she allegedly cut the tip of the little finger on the child's left hand. Due to this, the child suffered severe pain and injury, he alleged, as per the FIR.
"Immediately thereafter, the child was taken to the emergency ward, where dressing was done and a plaster was applied. Initially, the concerned staff informed us that it was not a major injury and that since the child is small, it would heal on its own. However, due to their negligence, my 6-month-old child sustained a serious injury to the little finger of his left hand, causing immense pain and damage," the FIR read.
Based on the complaint, a case was registered under section 125 (b) (act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the nurse, doctor and the management of the hospital and the matter is being investigated.
