India Launches Criminal Case After Toxic Cough Syrup Kills Ten Children
Indian authorities have filed criminal charges against Tamil Nadu-based pharmaceutical company Sresan Pharma after ten children in Madhya Pradesh reportedly died from consuming its contaminated cough syrup, Coldrif. Tests conducted by the health ministry revealed that the syrup contained diethylene glycol—a toxic chemical—at levels exceeding permissible limits. The tragedy has reignited global concerns over the safety of Indian-made medicines, following previous incidents in Cameroon, Gambia, and Uzbekistan linked to toxic cough syrups.
A criminal case has been registered against both the manufacturer and a doctor who prescribed the medicine, Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla confirmed. The doctor has been arrested, while charges against the company include culpable homicide not amounting to murder, adulteration of drugs, and violations of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation has also recommended the cancellation of Sresan Pharma’s manufacturing license.
India, often hailed as the “pharmacy of the world,” supplies 40% of generic medicines used in the United States and over 90% of those distributed in several African nations. However, recurring incidents of toxic drug formulations have placed its pharmaceutical industry under intense international scrutiny. Sresan Pharma has yet to respond to requests for comment regarding the allegations.
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