New Delhi, Oct 9 (UNI) Amid the rising cases of death of children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan following consumption of contaminated cough syrup, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has written to union Health Minister JP Nadda condemning the immediate arrest of a paediatrician in the Madhya Pradesh cough syrup tragedy.
The IMA said it condemned the action taken against a Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP) and a paediatrician in Madhya Pradesh. “The arrest of the doctor highlights an example of legal illiteracy and conveys a wrong message across the country. The Supreme Court has spelled out a procedure to be followed before arresting a doctor, which is not the position in the particular case,” it said.
“The doctor is not accountable for the manufacturing lapses such as the contamination of toxic substances such as Diethylene Glycol (DEG) or Ethylene Glycol (EG),” IMA said and urged the union Health Minister to consider the doctor as a secondary victim of the medical failure and direct an urgent closure of legal actions against him.
The IMA said the unexpected deaths of children was the result of the failure of quality control measures of the manufacturer and the general systemic failure. “The introduction of an adulterated drug into the market violates the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. The IMA calls for systemic reforms to ensure the safety of medicines supplied across the country such as immediate recruitment of drug inspectors at the state level who can detect pharmaceutical fraud,” it said.
The IMA also asked for testing every batch of excipients, specifically propylene glycol, glycerin and sorbitol for DEG and EG contamination. It also requested for standard operating procedure for a drug recall.
It also asks for investment in the pharmacovigilance programme of India. It asks for inspections and Quality Management System (QMS) audits of all manufacturing units associated with previous quality lapses. The IMA urged for collaboration with the Ministry to implement the reforms.
