MP CM Mohan Yadav reviews condition of kids undergoing treatment in Nagpur

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday reviewed the condition of children undergoing treatment in Nagpur after consuming a toxic cough syrup that claimed 22 lives in Chhindwara and Betul districts.

The CM said the state government has arrested the owner of the Tamil Nadu-based pharmaceutical company that manufactured the banned syrup, Coldrif and those responsible for the deaths of the children due to the use of a toxic cough syrup will not be spared.

He was speaking to reporters after visiting hospitals in Nagpur, where several affected children from Chhindwara are undergoing treatment. The children, all under five years of age, died after consuming the cough syrup, containing toxic diethylene glycol in quantities nearly 500 times the permissible limit. The deaths were all linked to Sresan Pharma’s Coldrif syrup, which has been banned in MP and several parts of the country.

S. Ranganathan, the owner of the firm that manufactured the toxic syrup, was arrested by the Madhya Pradesh police in Chennai on Wednesday night. He will be produced in a court there for transit remand to Chhindwara, where a case has been registered against him under relevant sections of the BNS and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

CM Yadav said that investigations have confirmed the banned cough syrup, manufactured by the company, was the cause of the fatalities. “The Madhya Pradesh government will ensure that no guilty person escapes punishment. Our action is both humanitarian and administrative,” he said.

The CM expressed concern over the “lack of cooperation” from the Tamil Nadu government. “It is unfortunate that we have not received the expected support from Tamil Nadu authorities. Their Drug Controller should have conducted a proper inquiry into the company that produced this fatal medicine,” he said.

Yadav said that the state suspended the Chhindwara doctor who prescribed the syrup, removed the state Drug Controller, and initiated action against others found negligent.

Questioning the regulatory lapses, Yadav said: “How was such a factory given a license or its renewal without proper inspection? Anyone can visit the site and see how it was operating in a small, inadequate setup.”

Reaffirming his government’s stance, he said: “Madhya Pradesh is the victim in this tragedy… we will not step back from taking the strictest possible action against those responsible.”