Drug authorities raid firms in Ambala

Take samples linked to children’s deaths in Jammu

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 16

Following a tip-off from Drugs and Food Control Organisation in Jammu that a medication for fever and cold has led to death of several children in Ramnagar area of Udhampur in Jammu, the drug authorities in Haryana today raided a drug supplier in Ambala Cantonment and took samples of some drugs.

The authorities have also raided the premises of an ‘unlicensed’ raw material supplier in Ambala Cantt who is alleged to have supplied the ingredient to several manufacturers.

Narendra Ahooja, State Drug Controller, Haryana, cum Joint Commissioner, Food and Drugs Administration, Haryana, said that several children had died in the Ramnagar area during the past some days.

Investigation by the drug authorities there had revealed that the deaths occurred after consuming a syrup for cold and fever made by a manufacturing unit based in Kala Amb in Himachal Pradesh.

A communication dated February 15 from the State Drug Controller, Drug and Food Control Organisation, Jammu, addressed to the State Drug Controller, Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, said that a team from PGI, Chandigarh, which visited Ramnagar to assess the cause of the children’s death found that Diethyl Glycol, a toxic material, was found in the syrups manufactured by the Kala Amb firm that caused the deaths.

“Paracetamol, an active pharmaceutical ingredient, is the major ingredient in the syrup. The manufacturers use Propylene Glycol, a solvent to dissolve Paracetamol as it is not soluble in water. However, in some cases, the Propylene Glycol is converted into Diethyl Glycol, which is highly toxic. In these syrups, too, Diethyl Glycol was used to dissolve the active ingredient leading to the deaths,” Ahooja explained.

He said further inquiries revealed that from Kala Amb, the syrups were supplied to a firm based in Ambala Cantonment and from there these were sent to Jammu as well as to some other places.

The solvent that caused the deaths was also supplied by a unregistered firm based in Ambala Cantonment who in turn purchased it from Delhi and the Delhi firm received it from Chennai.

“Our teams have taken samples from both the firms in Ambala Cantonment and further legal action will be taken once the reports of the samples come,” said Ahooja.

The raids were in progress at the time of filing of this report.