In a major revelation in the cough syrup deaths case, sources have told CNN-News18 that the Tamil Nadu government is withholding crucial information related to the production and supply of the Coldrif
cough syrup, the consumption of which has claimed the lives of several children in Madhya Pradesh.
According to sources, the Tamil Nadu authorities have not shared details with other states regarding the manufacture and distribution of the syrup.
Officials have also failed to provide information on which states the product was supplied to and the companies involved in the process.
It has further been revealed that no details have been provided about the supplier of the poisonous solvent found in the medicine.
The chemical identified in the syrup is Diethylene Glycol (DEG), a toxic industrial solvent. However, the company that supplied it remains unidentified, sources said.
The Coldrif cough syrup was manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceuticals in Tamil Nadu.
Late on Wednesday, a team of the Madhya Pradesh Police arrested S Ranganathan, the owner of SresanPharma, in Chennai.
At least 20 children have so far died in Madhya Pradesh after consuming the Coldrif cough syrup, which was found to contain toxic diethylene glycol in quantities nearly 500 times the permissible limit, Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Rajendra Shukla said on Wednesday.
Of these 20 children, 17 are from Chhindwara district, two from Betul district, and one is from Pandhurna district.
Meanwhile, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has issued a directive to all States and Union Territories, calling for strict compliance with the Drugs Rules, 1945, for the testing of raw materials and finished pharmaceutical formulations.
In a letter dated October 7, the DCGI emphasised the “critical importance of testing new materials, including the excipients, before their use in the manufacturing of pharmaceutical formulations.”
Following the massive health crisis, the Centre has ordered a ban on the cough syrup in several parts of India.
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