3 MP officials suspended, drug controller transferred

The Madhya Pradesh government on Monday suspended three officials and transferred the drug controller following the deaths of 17 children within amonth after allegedly consuming contaminated cough syrup, officials said, adding the state banned two more cough syrups due to presence of toxic diethylene glycol in higher than permissible limit.

- Shruti Tomar

The moves come days after the Centre, in its advisory dated October 3, urged all states and UTs to promote the judicious prescribing and dispensing of cough syrups for children. The advisory, which came amid reports of cough syrup-linked deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, states that cough and cold medications shouldn't be prescribed or dispensed to kids below two years of age and are generally not recommended for those under five.

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav, who met families of three victims at Parasia in Chhindwara district on Monday, ordered the suspension of drug inspectors Gaurav Sharma (Chhindwara) and Sharad Kumar Jain (Jabalpur), as well as deputy director of food and drug administration, Shobhit Costa, and transferred state's drug controller Dinesh Maurya.

The decisions come over a month after the first death due to suspected renal failure linked to alleged consumption of contaminated cough syrup was reported from Chhindwara on September 4.