Chhindwara (MP): Two more children from Madhya Pradesh have died due to kidney infections allegedly caused by consuming a “contaminated” cough syrup, raising the death toll to 22, officials said on Thursday.
According to Chhindwara’s Additional Collector Dhirendra Singh Netri, five-year-old Vishal died on Wednesday evening, while four-year-old Mayank Suryavanshi succumbed later that night during treatment at a Nagpur hospital in Maharashtra. Both children were residents of Parasia town in Chhindwara district.
Officials said the deaths are linked to suspected kidney failure caused by the consumption of ‘toxic’ Coldrif cough syrup. Several other children from Madhya Pradesh are reportedly undergoing treatment in Nagpur.
The Madhya Pradesh Police have set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the tragedy and have filed a case against the Tamil Nadu-based manufacturer, Sresan Pharma. On Thursday, the SIT arrested Ranganathan Govindan, the company’s owner, from Chennai, SDOP Parasia Jitendra Singh Jaat said. The police have also sealed the drug factory, he added.
Govindan will be produced before a Chennai court to obtain a transit remand and is expected to be brought to Parasia by Friday.
Meanwhile, the MP government has taken administrative action, suspending two drug inspectors and a deputy director of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), while also transferring the state’s drug controller amid the ongoing probe.
In addition, Chhindwara-based doctor Praveen Soni has been arrested for alleged negligence. His bail plea was rejected by a local court in Parasia on Wednesday.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has protested Dr. Soni’s arrest and threatened an indefinite strike in the district from Thursday.
