The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has voiced strong concern over the arrest of paediatrician Praveen Soni in connection with the deaths of children allegedly caused by a contaminated cough syrup in Madhya Pradesh, while also challenging the clean chit handed to the pharmaceutical firm accused of manufacturing it.
The association said it would engage directly with the Union Health Ministry, stressing that the physician had followed treatment protocols and should not be made a scapegoat. “Why should a doctor be singled out for responsibility?” the IMA asked, urging his release.
Soni was taken into custody on Saturday after an FIR was registered against him and Sresun Pharmaceuticals, the maker of Coldrif syrup, under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The complaint was lodged by Ankit Sahlam, Block Medical Officer of Parasia Community Health Centre.
The controversy erupted after 19 children died in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, allegedly from consuming the Coldrif syrup. Fourteen of the fatalities were reported from Chhindwara district, with two suspected cases in Betul. Following a laboratory test on Friday, the medicine was found to contain 48.6 per cent Diethylene Glycol (DEG), a highly toxic chemical known to cause kidney failure and death if ingested.
Also read: Doctor held after 10 children die from toxic cough syrup in Madhya Pradesh
The Madhya Pradesh government acted swiftly, with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordering Soni’s suspension. He had been serving as a paediatrician at Parasia in Chhindwara. Investigators revealed that he had prescribed the syrup to most of the affected children.
A fact-finding team is on its way to Chhindwara to meet local authorities and assess conditions on the ground, sources confirmed. Meanwhile, outrage over the deaths has spurred a crackdown on both medical practitioners and the drug manufacturer.
The fallout has extended beyond Madhya Pradesh, with Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh banning Coldrif as a precaution. Karnataka and Telangana have issued advisories to officials to monitor the medicine’s circulation and spread public awareness.
Environmentalists and health experts argue that the tragedy mirrors a recurring pattern in India where systemic regulatory failures, weak enforcement and commercial negligence place lives at risk. The IMA, however, contends that while accountability is necessary, shifting the burden of blame solely onto a physician deflects from the larger structural lapses in drug oversight.
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