A blame game has erupted between the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh and the DMK government in Tamil Nadu over the unfortunate deaths of around two dozen children in MP due to kidney failure suspected to be caused by the now-banned toxic cough syrup ‘Coldrif’ manufactured by Tamil Nadu-based ‘M/s Sresan Pharmaceuticals’.
While MP Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav has accused the Tamil Nadu government of noncooperation in the investigation into the case, the Tamil Nadu Health Minister M Subramaniam has complained of dilly-dallying by the MP government in taking action despite being informed in time by Tamil Nadu that the cough syrup was contaminated and hazardous for human health, especially of kids.
“It is unfortunate that the Tamil Nadu government is not extending to us the cooperation that is needed in the investigation of the case,” MP CM Dr Yadav alleged today.
In response, Dr Yadav said, “Irregularities have been revealed in the manufacturing process of the syrup. Tamil Nadu’s drug controller must test the drugs according to rules, and the government of Tamil Nadu should act stringently against the culprits.”
“It should be revealed who gave the licence to the drug company, and how it was functioning in such a small space,” he said, questioning how the licence of the company was renewed without the mandatory inspections, and why it was given a licence for the second time.
Countering the allegation, the Tamil Nadu health minister accused the Madhya Pradesh government of not taking action despite being informed that the cough syrup Coldrif was found to be contaminated with a toxic substance. “Tamil Nadu immediately investigated the matter and found contamination in the cough syrup, and promptly informed the MP government, the Union government, as well as the governments of Puducherry and Odisha,” Subramaniam had asserted on Thursday.
“But the Madhya Pradesh and the Union governments did not take any action. The MP government initially stated that there was nothing wrong with Coldrif cough syrup,” he added.
He pointed out that the Tamil Nadu government confirmed how much contamination is present in the medicine. It had even issued a ‘stop production’ order on October 3 itself.
Subramaniam also informed that Tamil Nadu suspended two of its senior drug officials after the deaths of children were linked to Sresan Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, the company that manufactured Coldrif cough syrup at its unit in Tamil Nadu’s Kancheepuram district. “Two senior drug inspectors have been suspended for not consistently inspecting such drugs in the last two years,” Subramanian stated.
MP CM Dr Mohan Yadav also asserted that his government is taking the strictest action against all those responsible. “As soon as we received reports from the Tamil Nadu government, we banned cough syrup. The MP Police have arrested Ranganathan Govindan, the owner of the medicine company, and our government will act stringently against the culprits,”he maintained.
He added that the MP government also arrested and suspended a government doctor of Chhindwara, removed the state’s drug controller, and also suspended two drug Inspectors.
As per unofficial information, 25 kids have died so far in Madhya Pradesh due to the tainted drug while a state government official put the figure at 22.
The tests on the ‘Coldrif’ cough syrup revealed that it contained 48.6 per cent Diethylene Glycol (DEG), a highly toxic substance, which can be hazardous to human health, and possibly fatal in children.