The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced it will engage with the Union Health Ministry following the arrest of Dr Praveen Soni, the physician linked to the controversial cough syrup linked to the deaths of 16 children in Madhya Pradesh, a source told India Today.
The IMA has questioned why Dr Soni is being singled out for responsibility, emphasising that treatment protocols were followed and that the blame should not rest solely on the doctor. The association is determined to push for Dr Soni’s release.
The medical body has also questioned the government’s decision to give a clean chit to the pharmaceutical company.
Meanwhile, a fact-finding team has been dispatched to Chhindwara and is currently en route to meet with local authorities and assess the situation on the ground, sources further said.
In Madhya Pradesh, 14 of the deaths were reported from Chhindwara district, with the remaining 2 suspected fatalities from Betul. The deaths have sparked outrage and led to a crackdown on those involved in the production and prescription of the implicated Coldrif cough syrup.
Authorities after police registered an FIR against him and the operators of Sresun Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Coldrif. The FIR, filed under multiple sections of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), was lodged following a complaint by Ankit Sahlam, Block Medical Officer of Parasia Community Health Centre.
Following orders from Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Dr Soni, a paediatrician posted in Parasia, Chhindwara, was suspended immediately for alleged negligence in treating the affected children.
Investigations have revealed that Dr Soni had prescribed the Coldrif syrup to most of the children who succumbed. A laboratory report released on Friday confirmed that the syrup contained 48.6% Diethylene Glycol (DEG), a highly toxic chemical known to cause kidney failure and death if ingested.
Following deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, other states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh have also banned Coldrif cough syrup as a precaution. Karnataka and Telangana have also urged officials to keep a vigil regarding the use of alleged cough syrup and sensitise the public about the same.
So far, at least 19 children have died in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan allegedly after consuming the cough syrup, which comprises certain toxic elements.