BHOPAL: Authorities in Madhya Pradesh have arrested a doctor in Chhindwara district following the deaths of 14 children who reportedly consumed contaminated cough syrup.
Dr Pravin Soni, a government doctor who also operates a private clinic in Parasia town, located in the coal belt of Chhindwara, was arrested by local police on Saturday night. The arrest followed an FIR lodged by local block medical officer (BMO) Dr Ankit Sallam. The FIR names both Dr Soni and the syrup’s manufacturer, based in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, among the accused. Two other doctors, Dr Amit Thakur and Dr Aman Siddiqui, have also been mentioned in the seven-page FIR registered at Parasia police station.
The FIR has been registered under Sections 105 and 276 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertain to culpable homicide not amounting to murder and drug adulteration. Additionally, Section 27A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, which deals with the manufacture, stocking, sale, or offering for sale of spurious or adulterated medicines, has also been invoked. The offences carry a punishment ranging from ten years’ imprisonment to life.
Dr Soni, one of the most prominent paediatricians in Parasia, was known for his busy clinic and was also posted at the local government community health centre. He has been suspended from his government post with immediate effect, following orders from Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav.
Just days ago, Dr Soni had reportedly defended his actions, stating that he had been in medical practice for over 35 years and had prescribed the same cough syrup for nearly a decade.
Ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each
According to additional collector of Chhindwara district, Dhirendra Singh: "Ex-gratia sum of Rs 4 lakh each has been approved and credited into the bank accounts of families of the 14 deceased children in Chhindwara district: 11 in Parasia, two in Chhindwara and one in Chourai."
While the Chhindwara additional district collector confirmed the deaths of 14 kids from the district, unconfirmed reports said there is a possibility of a similar death of a child in adjoining Pandhurna district and two similar deaths in neighbouring Betul district. If those deaths are confirmed to have been caused by similar syndrome, then the death toll from three districts could touch 17.
He added that eight kids are undergoing treatment at different hospitals in Nagpur (Maharashtra), including four at a government hospital, one at AIIMS and three others are private hospitals. "Three teams of doctors and executive magistrates have been deployed in Nagpur to ensure the proper treatment of the children."
Deceased child's body to be exhumed
In a related development, the authorities in Chhindwara district, may exhume the body of a two-year-old girl Yogita Thakre, who also died on October 4 due to similar AKI, suspected to be induced by the adulteration of Coldrif syrup with poisonous substance Diethylene Glycol (DEG).
"The body of the toddler girl might be exhumed and its autopsy done to gather more clinching scientific evidence for bolstering the investigations in the case," Chhindwara district police superintendent Ajay Pandey told TNIE on Sunday.
Two of the parents, who lost their sons, including Prakash Yaduvanshi who lost his lone six-years-old son and Ameen Khan who lost his five years old son, confirmed to the TNIE about Dr Pravin Soni having prescribed the combination of medicines, including the cough syrup.
"The medicines were prescribed by Dr Soni and his staff asked us to buy them from the pharmacy in his private clinic only. The medical shop is perhaps operated by those close to him," Prakash and Ameen said, amid reports of the medical store run by Dr Soni’s kin.
Meanwhile, according to official sources, two kids from neighbouring Betul district, identified as Kabir (4) and Garvit (2.5 years) died on September 8 and October 1, respectively in circumstances similar to the deaths of children from Chhindwara district. The two kids hailed from Betul district, but had received treatment from Dr Pravin Soni in Parasia, Chhindwara district.
The action against Dr Pravin Soni by police in Chhindwara district, however, hasn’t gone down well with the doctor fraternity of the state.
"How can a doctor be held responsible for the adulteration of a cough syrup with a poisonous substance. Did the doctor manufacture the concerned syrup, contaminate it with the poisonous chemical substance and then supply it to the medical shop? A doctor is tasked with examining a patient, diagnosing the ailment, prescribing medicines and follow up treatment. The Progress Medical Teachers Association in MP has been running a dedicated campaign against spurious medicines since August-September 2024, but it’s up to the policy makers sitting in the state secretariat and the government to actually act against the organized gang behind spurious and adulterated medicines," said State Medical Teachers Association chief Dr Rakesh Malviya on Sunday.
Opposition Congress leader Dr Anand Rai, the Vyapam scam whistleblower and former state government doctor, added in the same vein: "The doctor who prescribed the medicines cannot be held responsible, he is being made a scapegoat. It’s the pharma company drug controller and stockist and not the doctor, who should actually have been nailed."
The 14 kids hailing from Chhindwara district have died mostly at hospitals in Nagpur (Maharashtra) between September 4 and October 4. They were initially suffering from mild cold-fever and most of them were prescribed a combination of medicines, including the Coldrif cough syrup, majorly by Dr Soni.
Within days of taking the medicine, most of the children developed anuria (a sudden and alarming decline in urine output), followed by acute kidney injury and, ultimately, death. Kidney biopsies of the deceased revealed that toxic medication had caused the AKI.
Authorities only began investigating the medicine after the number of child deaths began to rise. The probe led officials to suspect that Coldrif syrup had been the cause of the poisoning and kidney damage.
The Madhya Pradesh government subsequently requested Tamil Nadu’s drug control department to conduct an urgent investigation. Within two days, tests at the manufacturing site in Kanchipuram revealed that the syrup contained a dangerously high concentration (48.6% w/v) of diethylene glycol (DEG), a toxic chemical. The permissible limit for DEG in such preparations is just 0.01%.
Following confirmation from Tamil Nadu's drug testing laboratory on Saturday morning, the Madhya Pradesh government imposed an immediate statewide ban on Coldrif syrup.
Although the official death toll in hospitals across Chhindwara and Nagpur stands at 11, unconfirmed reports suggest the actual number may be higher, with similar child deaths reported from Betul district.
Kerala has also suspended the sale of Coldrif syrup as a precaution, although a preliminary inquiry by the state’s health department revealed that the flagged batch was not distributed there. Kerala Health Minister Veena George confirmed the suspension was a proactive measure.
Meanwhile, as per investigations by drug inspectors, the Jabalpur-based Kataria Pharmaceuticals had ordered 660 bottles of the syrup from Chennai. It has come to light during the investigation that a total of 660 bottles were purchased, of which 594 were sold in Chhindwara and 66 were stored, which were recovered during inspection. From these 66 bottles, 16 samples were taken and sent for testing. The remaining 50 bottles were frozen, with instructions issued not to sell them.
