Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) [India], October 16 (ANI): After Coldrif cough syrup case in Madhya Pradesh, another case of 'Black particles', claimed to be insects were allegedly found in children's antibiotic syrup in Gwalior district, leading to a freeze in its stock and the samples sent for lab testing, an official said.

The matter was reported by a patient at the government medical store of Civil Surgeon Hospital situated in Morar locality in the district. The complainant had verbally addressed the matter to the Civil Surgeon on Wednes, following which the Drug Department initiated an immediate probe into the matter and collected the samples on Wednesday.

Gwalior Drug Inspector Anubhuti Sharma told ANI, 'An oral complaint was reported at Civil Surgeon Medical store that a patient complained about some black particles, which they claimed were insects, were found in the Azithromycin Oral Suspension (syrup). Based on the complaint, the stock available at the Civil Surgeon Store has been freezed. Along with this, stock from the ward has also been recalled where it was distributed. With this, about 306 bottles of the medicine which were distributed or available at the store have also been freezed.'

Additionally, samples have been collected and it will be sent to the lab for testing. After the test report, it will be known what impurities are found in the medicine. So far no written complaint has been received, nor is the patient's identity known. Only a verbal complaint was reported that some black particles were seen in the Azithromycin Oral Suspension, the Drug Inspector said.

'We have also randomly opened 4-5 bottles available at stores of the same batch but no particles or insects were found in our physical verification. Nevertheless, samples have been sent to the lab for complete testing,' Sharma said.

She further added that medical stores and government store operators have always been instructed that if any deficiency in quality is found in physical verification or there is any doubt or any complaint is received regarding the quality, then that stock should be immediately freezed and inform the office so that sampling procedure can be conducted.

'This process will continue in future as well and in the past also whenever we have come across such cases, we have taken action of sampling,' the drug controller said, adding that among the freezed medicines, samples from 16 bottles have been sent to the Bhopal lab for examination.

The remaining bottles are kept in the store and have been freezed. Their further distribution has been stopped, she added. (ANI)