New Delhi, Oct 9 (UNI) The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has written to union Health Minister JP Nadda, strongly condemning the arrest of a doctor in connection with the recent cough syrup tragedy in Madhya Pradesh.
It has sought immediate withdrawal of all legal action against him.
The MP police has arrested Chhindwara-based Dr Praveen Soni, a senior paediatrician, allegedly for prescribing the drug that has led to the death of the kids in the State.
In its letter to the Minister, the IMA stated that it denounces the action taken against a registered medical practitioner (RMP) and paediatrician in the state, calling the arrest a “classic case of legal illiteracy” which sends out a “wrong signal.”
“It is unfortunate that the procedure laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court for arresting a medical professional was not followed in this case,” the Association said.
The IMA further asserted that doctors cannot be held responsible for the presence of toxic adulterants such as diethylene glycol (DEG) or ethylene glycol (EG) in medicinal preparations.
Appealing to the union Health Minister to intervene in the matter, the IMA urged that the doctor be considered a “secondary victim” in the failure of treatment and called for the immediate withdrawal of all legal action against him.
The IMA held that the unexpected deaths of children were a result of the failure in quality control measures by the drug manufacturing company.
“The presence of adulterated medicine in the market is a violation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act,” the Association said, while calling for urgent reforms to ensure the safety of medicines.
Among its recommendations, the IMA called for the immediate recruitment of drug inspectors at the state level to detect such pharmaceutical malpractices.
The body also urged that every batch of pharmaceutical excipients such as propylene glycol, glycerin, and sorbitol be mandatorily tested. It further demanded the adoption of a standard operating procedure (SOP) for drug recalls.
Highlighting the need for systemic reform, the IMA recommended strengthening the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI), auditing the quality management systems (QMS), and inspecting all entities involved in quality failures.
