Tamil Nadu government to take criminal action against the manufacturer of contaminated cough syrup
The Tamil Nadu government has announced it will take criminal action against the manufacturer of the cough syrup Coldrif after the drug was linked to the deaths of children in Madhya Pradesh.
Tamil Nadu Health and Family Welfare Minister Ma Subramanian stated on Wednesday that the State Drug Control department’s analysis found the syrup contained a shocking 48.6% of the “poisonous substance” diethylene glycol.
The Chennai-based pharmaceutical firm, whose factory is located in Sunguvarchatram, Kancheepuram district, has been in operation for 14 years. The government has already issued a stop production order and a second show cause notice, demanding an explanation for why criminal action should not be taken and why the company should not be shut down.
The Deputy Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh recently confirmed that at least 20 children died in the state after suffering kidney failure from consuming the contaminated cough syrup. The Tamil Nadu factory was sealed by the district administration on Tuesday.
Minister Subramanian confirmed the government is taking all necessary legal measures to ensure the firm’s closure and stressed that criminal action will be pursued against the manufacturer following their response to the notice. Tamil Nadu, along with states like Kerala and Madhya Pradesh, has already banned the sale of the Coldrif cough syrup.