DEG deaths: Why is India unable to stop them?

Abstract

The deaths of children in Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh from cough syrup adulterated with diethylene glycol (DEG) have laid bare the gaps in drug regulation, from the manufacturing site down to the pharmacist. They have exposed, as hollow, the governments' and drug regulators' announcements of higher manufacturing standards for medicines, regular inspections of manufacturing units and stringent action against those found flouting regulations - after similar mass poisonings from DEG in cough syrup reported in 2020, 2022 and 2023. The Chhindwara tragedy has revealed a drug regulatory system that has not only failed repeatedly to make medicines safe, but also actively fights any public scrutiny of its functioning.