The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to Jammu and Kashmir chief secretary and the Union ministry of health and family welfare on a complaint lodged by eminent social activist Sukesh C Khajuria related to the deaths of a dozen infants due to consumption of a spurious cough syrup in Ramnagar tehsil of Udhampur district in January this year.
Dissatisfied over official apathy to the tragedy, Khajuria had moved the NHRC on April 3 seeking its intervention for action against delinquent government officials and compensation to the aggrieved families.
At least a dozen infants had died after consuming a toxic cough syrup manufactured by a pharmaceutical company Digital Vision in Kala Amb area of Himachal Pradesh.
The NHRC has asked J&K chief secretary and the Union ministry of health and family welfare to submit a report in this matter within four weeks.
In its order, the NHRC stated that in case the reports are not received within the stipulated time, the commission will be constrained to invoke coercive process under Section 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 for personal appearance of the authorities concerned.
Khajuria said the deceased at Ramnagar tehsil include Shreyansh, 18 months, son of Madan Lal, Kanikshak Dogra, 3, son of Susheel Dogra, Janvi, 11 months, daughter of Anil Kumar, Luxmi, 18 months, daughter of Raj Kumar, Amit, 4, son of Rattan Chand, Surbhi Sharma, 3, daughter of Govind Ram, Anirudh, 2, son of Ashok Kumar,Panku (jeevan), one-year-old, son of Ramesh, Akshu, 18 months, son of Sanjay Kumar, Niju, one-year-old, son of Kuldeep and Jannu, 2, son of Thakur Dass.
A high-level team of experts from the Union health and family welfare ministry had visited the area after the tragedy and confirmed that the children died due to presence of diethelene glycol in the cold best syrup procured from a local chemist and manufactured by Digital Vision, a pharmaceutical company in Himachal Pradesh.
In a report dated March 2, the Regional Drugs Testing Laboratory (RDTL) said the samples of the cold best – PC syrup were “not of standard quality” as defined in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
“Cases were registered against the company but no concrete action has been taken. It has been alleged that the same company has been found involved in such discrepancies from 2014 onwards but continue to operate risking the lives of patients,” Khajuria said.
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