After cough syrup tragedy, MP hospital under lens over 'worms' in medicine
Gwalior (PTI): Amid child deaths linked to a toxic cough syrup in Madhya Pradesh, a government hospital here is now facing a complaint over worms allegedly found in a bottle of antibiotic medicine given to a child, officials said on Thursday.
Following a complaint by a woman whose child was given the medicine, the entire stock of Azithromycin antibiotic at the government hospital in Morar town of Gwalior district has been sealed and samples have been sent to a laboratory in Bhopal for testing, they said.
Azithromycin antibiotic's oral suspension is commonly given to children for various infections.
According to officials, the medicine was generic and manufactured by a Madhya Pradesh-based company.
Drug inspector Anubhuti Sharma said, "A woman at the government hospital in Morar complained of worms in a bottle of Azithromycin oral suspension."
Although the bottle of medicine that the woman had brought was open, the matter was immediately investigated, she said.
All 306 bottles of this medicine, which had been distributed and stored at the hospital in Morar, have been recalled and seized, the official said.
A preliminary inspection of some of the medicine bottles revealed no signs of insects, but testing is necessary, she said.
Some of the bottles have been sent to a laboratory in Bhopal for testing. A sample of this medicine will also be sent to the Central Drug Laboratory in Kolkata, Sharma said.
Notably, 24 children from Chhindwara district in MP have died due to suspected renal failure caused by the consumption of the adulterated Coldrif cough syrup.
The tragedy prompted the World Health Organisation (WHO) to issue an alert against three "substandard" oral cough syrups identified in India -- Coldrif, Respifresh TR and ReLife.
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Minister Patil chairs industry meetings to chart growth for key sectors in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister M B Patil on Tuesday chaired meetings with industry representatives from the aerospace and defence, machine tools, auto/EV, and green energy sectors to discuss sector growth and government support measures.
The meetings were attended by leading industrialists and their representatives, with some participating virtually.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister for Large and Medium Industries said Karnataka is at the forefront of the country’s aerospace and defence sectors.
He noted that Suzuki and Toyota plan to launch aerial taxi services in Japan by 2028, with Bengaluru-based Sasmos supplying electrical equipment for the project.
Industrialists suggested introducing similar “fly-taxi” services in Karnataka through an appropriate policy, which Patil said would be examined seriously.
The minister highlighted the need to establish testing centres and Common Facility Centres for the aerospace and defence industries and assured that these facilities would be provided.
Suggestions were also made to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for sector growth.
Karnataka has urged the Central Government to approve Defence Corridor projects in the Bengaluru North–Kolar–Chikkaballapur and Dharawada–Vijayapura–Belagavi regions.
Industrialists also suggested a corridor between Bengaluru and Mysuru, Patil said.
He said Karnataka aims to become a hub for defence electronics manufacturing, with plans to establish a 200-acre Defence Electronics Park and a 100-acre Avionics and Sensor Park.
These projects will be implemented once the Special Investment Region is operational, and land availability will not be an issue.
On the machine tools sector, Patil said the industry has recorded an annual turnover of Rs 36,500 crore and is witnessing steady growth.
Large-scale exhibitions have increased demand, and the state must strengthen its capabilities to develop control systems for heavy machinery. One testing unit is already operational in Bengaluru, with another planned for Tumakuru. Expansion of vocational training institutes in industrial areas is also underway.
In the Auto and EV sector, Vision Group members highlighted the need for a network of dry ports and more EV charging stations across the state.
Patil noted that the Tata Group is manufacturing EV buses in Dharawada for nationwide supply. Plans for mini excavator production and export facilitation were also discussed, along with the establishment of a testing facility for two-wheeler EVs.
For the Green Energy sector, the group emphasised the need for a suitable policy on battery-based energy storage and the establishment of data centres.
Patil assured that the government will seriously consider all suggestions and respond positively.
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