Exhibit extreme caution
The recent death of 22 minor children in the state of Madhya Pradesh and three more deaths in Rajasthan, due to consumption of cough syrup believed to contain toxic substances is a matter of grave concern.
The deaths are reported to have taken place due to presence of Diethylene glycol in some cough syrups. Diethylene glycol is a toxic chemical, harmful to humans when consumed and can prove fatal.
The oral liquid medicines that are frequently used across India by doctors during cough and cold conditions among children and adults are unsafe and their use, especially in children, may result in serious injury or death.
The toxic effects of these cough syrups can include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, inability to pass urine, headache, altered mental state and acute kidney injury which may lead to death.
Ironically, many companies across India are using combination medicines both in tablet and liquid form which are prescribed by lakhs of medical practicioners and very little attention is paid by the controlling authorities to check their blatant use.
This is not the first time that such deaths have taken place, but during the past decade many such incidents came to the fore with little or no attention being paid by the authorities towards curbing this menace once and for all.
The latest deaths have no doubt alerted the authorities in several states and the medicines showing presence of Diethylene glycol have been banned and action initiated under law against the manufacturers.
However, the way companies manufacture these products either clandestinely or twisting some rules need to be looked into so that the menace of manufacturing and marketing combination medicines is put to an end.
The pharma industry in India has witnessed huge strides and many multinational companies have setup their manufacturing units in many parts of the country. However, such bad practices can ruin this entire Industry as most of the countries do not take any health threat for their citizens lightly.
The disclosure of using toxic substances in cough syrups in India has already alerted the World Health Organisation (WHO) which has issued an alert against three substandard oral cough syrups in India. The world body has urged national regulatory authorities worldwide to immediately notify if these medicines are detected in their country.
The WHO has further called for increased surveillance and diligence within the supply chains of countries and regions likely to be affected by these substandard products.
The products identified in the alert are considered substandard as they fail to meet their quality standards and their specifications. These contaminated products pose significant risks to patients and can cause severe and potentially life-threatening illness.
Importantly, the lead pharma companies need to step in at this juncture and denounce any such attempt where concern for human life is not prioritised and practices for mere financial gains are adopted. The lead companies should also advise extreme caution by manufacturers while undertaking manufacturing of any such drug or drugs.
