In a decisive move to safeguard public health, the Kerala government has banned the sale and distribution of all medicines produced by Tamil Nadu-based Sresan Pharmaceuticals, state Health Minister Veena George announced on Tuesday (Oct 7).
The action comes in the wake of the Tamil Nadu Drugs Controller cancelling the company’s manufacturing licence, triggering state-wide preventive measures in Kerala.
In addition to the ban on Sresan’s products, the Health Department has also halted sales of Respifresh TR, a respiratory drug manufactured by a Gujarat-based firm, after laboratory tests confirmed it was substandard.
“There are five distributors in Kerala handling this medicine, and they have been directed to cease all sales and distribution immediately,” George said in an official statement. She warned that strict action would be taken against anyone found selling or supplying the banned medicines.
Citizens who possess these drugs have been advised not to use them, as none of the affected medicines were supplied through government hospitals.
The health minister further cautioned that dispensing medicines to children below 12 years without a valid doctor’s prescription would invite stringent penalties.
The clampdown follows a tragic incident in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district, where 16 children reportedly died of suspected renal failure linked to the consumption of a toxic cough syrup allegedly produced by Sresan Pharmaceuticals.
The Kerala government has also ordered a statewide inspection of private pharmacies to ensure compliance and prevent circulation of the banned drugs.
