New Delhi, 6 October (IANS). The Indian Medical Association (IMA) reacted sharply to the dispute after the death of children after drinking phlegm syrup in Madhya Pradesh. The IMA has described the incident as a result of the serious negligence of administrative and regulatory bodies and said that the arrest of a doctor is an example of legal ignorance. The organization has demanded appropriate compensation for both the affected families and the doctors.
The IMA said that the Kapha Syrup tragedy in Madhya Pradesh and the arrest of the doctor who wrote it is an excellent example of the legal ignorance of the officers and the police. The IMA demands immediate action against real culprits and adequate compensation to the affected families and a doctor who has been victims of slander. On Saturday, an FIR was lodged against the directors of Messrs Srison Pharmaceuticals, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, a pediatrician and Messrs Srison Pharmaceuticals at the Community Health Center (CHC) of the town at Parasia police station. He has been booked under Section 27 (A) of BNS sections 105 and 276 as well as Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. The arrest of the doctor in a hurry immediately after the BMO report, the regulatory bodies and the concerned pharmaceutical company reflects the attempt to divert the attention of the people from the mistakes.
The Indian Medical Association said in its statement that some companies making drugs may use cheap, toxic substances such as industrial DEG and Ethylene Glycol instead of expensive and safe glycerin and proprign glycol in making cough syrup. These toxic substances are like safe materials in appearance, but if the manufacturer and regulatory level lapse in quality check, these syrup can cause kidney failure or death in children. In the past, such incidents have happened in many countries. The doctor does not know that there is a syrup poisonous, until its consequences are revealed in the patients. Therefore, strict rules and strict investigation are necessary to prevent such tragedies. Many people buy cough syrup from shops without advice, so that excessive children consume them. In most cases, cough and colds are cured without syrup. When doctors write syrup, they do this by looking at the child’s condition.
The statement said that the 2003 Mashelkar report stated that the problems of the regulatory system in the country were mainly due to insufficient or weak drug control structures at the state and center level, insufficient testing facilities, lack of drug inspectors, lack of enforcement, lack of uniformity, lack of trained personnel for specific regulatory sectors, lack of specially trained personnel, lack of data banks and non -accordance of accurate information. In this case, CDSCO and MPFDA failed to monitor DEG concentrations in alleged cuff syrup.
The IMA said that the attitude of the central and state governments is creating trouble instead of increasing the trust in the public. Arrest a doctor, who has the right to prescribe drug approved by the competent authority, gives the wrong message. Doctors across the country are scared of such action. This is clearly a case of fake medicine under Section 17B of the Drugs and Cosmetic Act, in which the drug has been completely or partially replaced by another substance. Cough approval, its quality and monitoring of the content are completely under the purview of the drug regulatory system. Once the drug is approved and available in the market, the registered medical practitioner has the right to write it. Directing drug controller to stop the supply of drugs approved to pharmacies is beyond their merit and jurisdiction. Earlier, the controller had given such advice to limit some drugs only to specific expertise, which is misuse of power out of the scope of the Drugs and Cosmetic Act.
The IMA further said that it is worried about the inability and inadequacy of the drug regulatory system in the country and negligence in dealing with this unfortunate incident. The drug makers and officials are fully responsible for the death of these helpless children. It is unfair to threaten the medical profession and will be opposed.
-IANS
PSK
