The government halts cough syrup production at a factory that’s been linked to death in Gambia
Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij Wednesday said that the state government has made a decision to “completely stop” the production of pharmaceuticals by the Sonipat-based firm Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited.
The government also issued a warning to the company following at the very least “12 flaws were found in the production of medicines during the joint inspection conducted by the drugs department teams of the Centre and state government”.
The incident follows an World Health Organisation (WHO) warning in response to cough syrups made by the company following the deaths of kids in The Gambia.
Haryana government had previously sent samples of four cough syrups produced by the pharmaceutical company in response to an WHO warning to Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL), Kolkata. “The report is being waited for and further actions will be taken as a result. In the joint inspections conducted by teams from the state and central drugs department, 12 errors were discovered. We have therefore taken the decision that the manufacturing of the pharmaceutical firm should be shut down. A notice has been sent at the request of the firm,” Vij said.
Haryana on the 6th of October, ordered an investigation into allegations of contaminated cough syrups produced by the facility of the company in Sonipat. The syrup samples were confiscated and taken to Kolkata to be examined further.
India’s drug regulator , The Drug Controller General India has also launched an investigation.
Following the WHO could have linked the use of four Indian-made cough syrups in the death of 66 kids from The Gambia a few days earlier, Vij had said that samples were taken into Kolkata’s CDL, Kolkata and further actions will be determined based on the findings from the laboratory.
“A top official from the Central Department of Pharmaceuticals also spoke with Haryana’s Additional Chief Secretary (Health) regarding the issue. The cough syrups produced by the pharmaceutical firm were cleared to be exported. The product is not being sold or distributed in the country. We’ll be able make a decision after we have the report from CDL after the syrup samples are thoroughly examined,” the minister had declared.
