Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], October 9 : Madhya Pradesh Minister of State for Public Health and Medical Education, Narendra Shivaji Patel, on Wednesday blamed the Tamil Nadu government for the deaths of children allegedly caused by contaminated cough syrup, saying that officials of the MP government were "not as responsible" as those in Tamil Nadu.
Speaking to ANI, Patel said that Chief Minister Mohan Yadav is personally monitoring the case and that the state government is bearing all medical expenses of the hospitalised children.
"The Madhya Pradesh government is committed to take strict action against all those responsible in this incident and ensure that no guilty person should be spared. This entire incident occurred because of a factory in Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu government's system is responsible for it, but the media has not highlighted this accountability as much as it should have. Because the Madhya Pradesh government officials are not as responsible in this as the Tamil Nadu government system," Patel said.
He added that the responsibility for manufacturing and licensing lies with the state where the medicine is produced. "When a medicine is manufactured in a particular state and sold outside it, it is the state's responsibility to inspect and ensure its quality before it leaves," he said.
The minister stated that it had come to their notice that the Tamil Nadu government was negligent, and they were writing a letter to the Tamil Nadu government regarding this matter. "Where the Tamil Nadu government showed negligence, and which officials were responsible, has come to our notice. We are writing to the Tamil Nadu government regarding this matter, inquiring about how substandard medicine produced in their factory was allowed to leave the state. Also, arrests have begun based on the FIR filed in the case. Our police team is heading to Tamil Nadu, and the owners of the company will be arrested," he said.
On the opposition's demand for his resignation, Patel said, "If my resignation solves the problem, then whenever our top leadership asks, I will resign within two minutes."
Meanwhile, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh accused the Madhya Pradesh government of complete failure in the matter.
"It is such an incident in which the Madhya Pradesh government completely failed. It is the duty of the drug inspector and drug controller to collect medicine samples and have them tested monthly, but they failed to do so. The incident occurred due to the failure of these officials and corruption. You should have collected the samples of medicine here; if anyone is making poison, then it is only their responsibility to check, not yours. What were you doing?" Singh told ANI.