The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has appealed to Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda to intervene in the case of a pediatrician arrested in connection with child deaths caused by a contaminated cough syrup in Madhya Pradesh. The IMA insists the doctor is a bona fide practitioner and that the arrest is unwarranted, highlighting that the true culprits are the manufacturer’s quality control failures and the regulatory bodies’ lack of effective oversight.
The association argues that the manufacturer and enforcement agencies bear the primary legal responsibility for releasing an adulterated drug into the market, violating the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. The IMA has characterized the pediatrician as a victim of a systemic breakdown and urged the ministry to halt all legal actions against the doctor, recognizing the professional damage and distress caused.
Citing a disregard for Supreme Court directives on arresting doctors, the IMA emphasized that physicians prescribe medications based on official approvals and availability through certified channels. They are not equipped to detect subtle manufacturing defects or toxic contaminants like Ethylene Glycol or Diethylene Glycol. Holding a doctor accountable for such undetected drug flaws misdirects responsibility from the actual source of the failure.
The IMA warns that criminalizing good-faith prescriptions creates fear among medical professionals, potentially leading to defensive practices and reluctance to prescribe affordable generic drugs, thereby negatively impacting patient care. The IMA has proposed critical systemic reforms, including bolstering regulatory infrastructure, implementing mandatory contaminant testing, creating a strong drug recall mechanism, strengthening pharmacovigilance, and conducting risk-based audits. The IMA is eager to collaborate with the Ministry to implement these measures for safer patient care.