Health Minister Mandaviya assures that India will steadfastly uphold the quality of medicines, refusing to compromise on this principle amidst the recent controversy surrounding cough syrup
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya reaffirmed India’s unwavering commitment to upholding the highest standards of medicine quality and ensuring public safety. Mandaviya stressed that stringent measures are in place to prevent any harm caused by counterfeit drugs.
The minister’s statement came in response to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) investigation into alleged fatalities related to contaminated cough syrups, with seven Indian-made products being flagged. Alongside these, WHO also identified twenty other toxic medicines, resulting in over 200 reported deaths worldwide. The remaining medicines implicated in the investigation were from Indonesia, according to WHO officials cited by NDTV.
Highlighting the government’s zero-tolerance policy towards spurious medicines, Mandaviya revealed that show-cause notices have been issued to 71 companies, while 18 associated shops have been ordered to close down. Rigorous risk-based analyses have been conducted at over 125 companies, with inspection teams inspecting their facilities. The minister further elaborated, “We are the pharmacy of the world and we want to assure everyone that we are the ‘quality pharmacy of the world.'”
The controversy surrounding India-made cough syrups arose due to their alleged involvement in a series of child deaths in Gambia and Uzbekistan last year. As the largest provider of generic drugs globally, India caters to approximately 50 percent of the global demand for various vaccines. The export value of cough syrups from India witnessed an increase in the 2022-23 period, reaching USD 17.6 billion compared to USD 17 billion in the previous year, 2021-22.
In January, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated two cough syrups for children manufactured by Marion Biotech, a Noida-based company in India, as “substandard medical products.” This classification followed reports of alleged deaths in Uzbekistan associated with these cough syrups.
Addressing concerns about Indian medicines, Health Minister Mandaviya emphasized the importance of considering factual information. Referring to the situation in Gambia, where it was reported that 49 children had died, the minister revealed that they had sought clarification on the facts but had not received a response.
Mandaviya highlighted a specific case where samples from one company were examined to determine the cause of death. It was discovered that the child had diarrhea, prompting the question of why cough syrup had been recommended for a child with that condition.
From June 1 onwards, a new regulation has been implemented in India, making it mandatory for exporters of cough syrups to conduct tests before exporting their products. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) issued a notification last month, stating that exporters must provide a certificate of analysis from a government laboratory for their cough syrups before they are allowed to be exported.
