File culpable homicide case over children's deaths due to adulterated cough syrup: Saamana

Mumbai, Oct 6 (IANS) Shiv Sena (UBT) on Monday expressed deep shock and anger over the deaths of 17 children due to consumption of adulterated cough syrup in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, demanding that a case of culpable homicide be registered against the rulers who boast of “good governance.”

It said the children's deaths took place because cheaply available toxic chemicals were mixed in 'cough syrup' to reduce the cost of manufacturing under the nose of the government.

A scathing editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana, said that instead of maintaining the quality of the medicine, cheap and dangerous chemicals used in car coolants and brakes were mixed in large quantities in this medicine.

The companies committed this sin to reduce the cost of production, and all the institutions that inspected it conveniently ignored the adulteration for some profit or greed. A saying is that 'the cure is worse than the disease'. "This is exactly what happened in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. About 17 children died due to free medicine taken from government hospitals for a common disease like a cough," the editorial said.

“Will anyone ever distribute poison in the name of medicine? It is unbelievable, but unfortunately, it is true. In Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, poison is being distributed in the name of cough medicine, and children are dying due to consuming poison, thinking it is a medicine. In the last few days, 14 children in Madhya Pradesh died after consuming cough syrup. In Rajasthan, too, three unborn children died after taking cough medicine. The news of the deaths of children coming from these two states has left the entire country stunned. It is horrifying and outrageous that for a simple cold or cough, parents gave their children medicine from a government hospital to make them feel better, and then within a few hours the children's kidneys fail and they die due to this," said the editorial.

The editorial said the deaths had shattered public trust in medicine. “But have those in government, administration, or the company responsible for maintaining quality felt any pain? Greed for money is the only reason behind these deaths. The suffering of the families who lost their children cannot be imagined,” it said.

"Two cough syrups -- Coldrif and Nexa DS -- have now been banned, and authorities have ordered that cough medicines not be given to children below two years of age. “But who will take responsibility for the 17 children who have already lost their lives?” Saamana asked.

"The medicine, Coldrif, which has claimed the most lives, is manufactured in Tamil Nadu. This medicine is supplied to many states across the country. The shocking fact is that this medicine was heavily adulterated with diethylene glycol, a dangerous and toxic chemical used in the automobile industry. While the amount of this chemical in the medicine was expected to be only 0.1 per cent, the amount found in the test of this medicine was as high as 46 to 48 per cent," remarked the editorial.

Slamming the government’s delayed response, the editorial said, “Now the administration has begun sending used medicines for testing and recalling adulterated stock from government hospitals. But what is the use of doing the work now that should have been done earlier?”

--IANS

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