#Politics | Cough syrup deaths: Cong says made in India cough syrups ‘deadly,’ BJP reacts ‘Oppn blinded’

“First it was the deaths of 70 kids in Gambia & now it is that of 18 children in Uzbekistan. Modi Sarkar must stop boasting about India being a pharmacy to the world & take the strictest action,” the party general secretary said.

Made in India cough syrups seem to be deadly. First it was the deaths of 70 kids in Gambia & now it is that of 18 children in Uzbekistan. Modi Sarkar must stop boasting about India being a pharmacy to the world & take strictest action.

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) December 29, 2022

Reacting to his comments, BJP’S information & Technology Dept in-charge, Amit Malviya said the death of children has nothing to do with cough syrup made in India. He alleged the opposition is blinded due to its hate for Modi and continues to deride India and its entrepreneurial spirit.

“The death of children in Gambia had nothing to do with the consumption of cough syrup made in India. That has been clarified by the Gambian authorities and DCGI, both. But blinded in its hate for Modi, Congress continues to deride India and its entrepreneurial spirit. Shameful…” Malviya tweeted.

The death of children in Gambia had nothing to do with the consumption of cough syrup made in India. That has been clarified by the Gambian authorities and DCGI, both. But blinded in its hate for Modi, Congress continues to deride India and its entrepreneurial spirit. Shameful… https://t.co/BKVQw5qskI

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) December 29, 2022

Meanwhile, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has initiated a probe into the children’s deaths with a team of central agencies and the Uttar Pradesh drug department inspecting the Noida office of the pharmaceutical firm, Marion Biotec. According to an Uttar Pradesh Government official, the company does not sell cough syrup, ‘Doc-1 Max’, in India, and its only export has been to Uzbekistan.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the samples of the cough syrup have been taken from the manufacturing premises and sent to Regional Drugs Testing Laboratory, Chandigarh for testing. He said appropriate action would be initiated based on the inspection report.

Following the death of 66 children in Gambia, the World Health Organization (WHO) in October raised an alert over four fever, cold, and cough syrups made by Haryana-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals.