Jaipur, Oct 2 (IANS) Rajasthan Medical and Health Department has initiated suspension proceedings against a doctor and a pharmacist at Hathideh PHC in Sikar district for prescribing a banned cough syrup to a child.

However, officials clarified that in the recent deaths of two children in Bharatpur and Sikar, dextromethorphan syrup had not been prescribed by doctors.

State government officials said that the Medical and Health Department has taken serious note of complaints regarding the quality of cough syrup distributed under the state’s free medicine scheme.

Clarifying recent reports, officials confirmed that in the deaths of two children from Bharatpur and Sikar, dextromethorphan syrup was not prescribed by doctors. However, proceedings have been initiated to suspend a doctor and pharmacist at another unit in Hathideh PHC in Sikar district for prescribing a banned cough syrup to a child.

Medical and Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar had ordered an immediate inquiry when reports of children deaths came, allegedly due to the consumption of cough syrup.

Following this, the Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation Limited (RMSCL) banned the use and distribution of the cough syrup in question and constituted a three-member committee to investigate. Drug samples have been sent to the State Drug Testing Laboratory.

Officials, meanwhile, ruled out any death due to syrup on Thursday and said one 30-year-old Monu Joshi, a resident of Kalsada, Bharatpur, had visited the Kalsada CHC on September 25, with complaints of cough, cold, and fever.

The doctor prescribed Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide syrup, along with other medications. Later, Monu Joshi gave this syrup to his three-year-old son, Gagan, without consulting a doctor, when the child developed a cold and pneumonia.

As Gagan’s condition worsened, he was taken to Dr. Ashok Jain in Mahua, who referred him to JK Lon Hospital, Jaipur, due to the seriousness of the case.

Gagan was admitted there at 2 p.m. on September 25 and, after improvement, was discharged on September 27.

Similarly, regarding the news published on October 1, about three siblings consuming cough syrup and one dying, the facts are that on September 18, Nahni, 50, visited the sub-centre at Malah for a check-up and was given PCM medicine available at the sub-centre level.

Samrat, the child whose death was reported, was already suffering from pneumonia and had been referred from Bharatpur to Jaipur.

Samrat died on September 22.

As for the death of Nityansh, son of Mahesh Kumar Sharma from Khori village in Sikar, the child was examined at the CHC in Chirana, Jhunjhunu, on July 7, with complaints of fever and cold. The prescription did not mention dextromethorphan syrup.

According to his mother, Khushboo Sharma, on September 28, at around 9 p.m., the child developed a mild cough. She gave him 5 ml of dextromethorphan syrup that she already had at home.

On September 29, at 2 a.m., the child drank water and went to sleep. At that time, he appeared fine. However, when the mother woke up at 5 a.m., the child was found unconscious. He was rushed to the Government Shri Kalyan Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Thus, in both the Bharatpur and Sikar cases, dextromethorphan syrup had not been prescribed by doctors.

Director of Public Health Dr. Ravi Prakash Sharma emphasised that doctors had not prescribed dextromethorphan syrup in these fatal cases, and as per protocol, it is not recommended for children.

Meanwhile, in a different case, the suspension of Dr. Palak and pharmacist Pappu Soni at Hathideh PHC was initiated after it was found that they had prescribed the syrup against guidelines.

The department has issued an advisory to all physicians to strictly adhere to prescribing protocols, ensure that prescription-only medicines are dispensed responsibly, and prevent patients from consuming drugs without medical consultation.

–IANS

arc/dan