Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: In view of concerns relating to the quality and administration of cough syrups, the Government directed states to ensure rational use of cough syrups, particularly among children, as most coughs are self-limiting and do not require pharmacological treatment. The Health Ministry convened a high-level meeting under the chairmanship of the Health Secretary, Punya Salila Srivastava, with all states and Union Territories to review compliance with drug quality norms and promote the rational use of cough syrups, especially in paediatric populations.
The matter had been earlier reviewed by Health Minister J.P. Nadda, who had directed that the matter may be discussed with states/UTs to ensure necessary actions. The meeting follows recent reports of child deaths in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, allegedly linked to contaminated cough syrups. The Metropolitan Surveillance Unit (MSU), Nagpur, established under the Pradhan Mantri–Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), had reported a cluster of cases and related deaths to the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) from a Block in Chhindwara District, Madhya Pradesh. Taking cognisance of the situation, a Central team of experts comprising epidemiologists, microbiologists, entomologists and drug inspectors from the NCDC, National Institute of Virology (NIV) and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) visited Chhindwara and Nagpur and undertook a detailed analysis of the reported cases and deaths in coordination with Madhya Pradesh State Authorities. Various clinical, environmental, entomological, and drug samples were collected and sent to NIV Pune, Central Drugs Testing Laboratory (CDTL) in Mumbai and NEERI Nagpur for laboratory testing.
