The World Health Organization has recently warned that an Indian cough syrup manufactured by a Punjab-based pharmaceutical company named QP Pharma Chem Limited is contaminated.
According to the WHO report, the India-made cough syrup marketed by Trillium Pharma in Haryana, the product contained unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol as contaminants.
The WHO statement further noted that this unacceptable amount of contaminants was found in the syrup which was found in the Marshall Islands and Micronesia.
"Samples of the GUAIFENESIN SYRUP TG SYRUP from the Marshall Islands were analysed by quality control laboratories of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of Australia. The analysis found that the product contained unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol as contaminants," read a WHO report.
Amid looming controversies, Sudhir Pathak, the Managing Director of QP Pharma Chem Limited, claimed that someone had intentionally duplicated the syrup to defame the Indian government.
"Food And Drug Administration (FDA) of Punjab doubt that someone has duplicated the product (cough syrup) sent to Cambodia and then sold it in the Marshall Islands and Micronesia to defame the Government of India," said Pathak, ANI reported.
Pathak added that the Food and Drug Administration in Punjab had already taken samples of cough syrup and sent them to Cambodia for testing, and the results are still pending.
"The FDA department has taken samples of cough syrup sent to Cambodia for testing. A total of 18,336 bottles of cough syrup were sent," added Pathak.
