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| NHRC issues notices to J&K govt, Union Health Ministry on Khajuria’s petition | | Deaths of infants | | 
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, June 11: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to Chief Secretary, Jammu and Kashmir and Secretary, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on a complaint lodged by eminent social activist Sukesh Khajuria about the deaths of dozen infants due to consumption of spurious cough syrup in Ramnagar tehsil of Udhampur district in December 2019-January 2020.
Sukesh Khajuria dissatisfied with the official response to the tragedy, in his complaint filed on April 3, 2020 has sought the intervention of the commission for action against the delinquent government officials and compensation to the aggrieved families who have lost their children.
The Commission directed its Registry to transmit a copy of the complaint to the Chief Secretary, Government of Jammu and Kashmir and the Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India calling for a report within four weeks.
It was stated in the order that in case, the reports are not received within the stipulated time, the Commission shall be constrained to invoke coercive process u/s 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 for personal appearance of the concerned authorities.
Khajuria contended that most of the children who died belonged to poor, scheduled caste families and their parents have little comprehension of what has happened. Many do not even have copies of the prescriptions any longer, as probing officials have taken these away.
He said that a high level team of experts of Union Health and Family Welfare ministry had visited the area after the tragedy and confirmed the deaths due to presence of “Diethelene Glycol’ in the cold best syrup procured from a local chemist and manufactured by M/s Digital Vision Pharmaceutical Company of Kala Amb, district Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh.
In a report dated march 02, 2020 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 & Cosmetics Act. The sample was tested for the presence of “Diethylene Glycol” (DEG) and the laboratory found it positive for the same and content of DEG was found to be 34.24%w/v.
He stated that 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.
He hoped that NHRC will order adequate compensation to the affected families and recommend action against guilty officials. |
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