At a district hospital in Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh), a bottle of children’s antibiotic (azithromycin oral suspension) was reported to contain worm-like particles, prompting immediate recall of hundreds of units and a formal investigation.
Glimpse:
A woman bringing her child medicine to a government hospital in Morar, Gwalior district, discovered objects resembling worms floating in the azithromycin syrup. Drug inspectors sealed the entire stock of 306 bottles at the hospital and began lab testing. The incident comes on the heels of a wider cough-syrup scandal in the state.
A government hospital in Morar, Gwalior district, is under intense scrutiny after a serious complaint: a parent discovered worm-like particles in a bottle of azithromycin oral suspension, which is routinely given to children for infections. The bottle had already been opened when the family noticed the foreign material and alerted the hospital authorities.
Following the complaint, drug inspectors acted swiftly. The hospital’s entire stock of 306 bottles of the antibiotic has been sealed and recalled. Samples were sent to labs in Bhopal and Kolkata for detailed testing to determine whether contamination occurred during manufacture, storage or distribution. Preliminary inspection found no insects in some bottles, but officials say only detailed laboratory analysis will confirm how the particles got inside.
The incident comes amid heightened alarm in Madhya Pradesh after at least 24 children died in a separate case linked to allegedly contaminated cough syrup. The state drug regulatory machinery is now under significant pressure to trace supply chains, verify batch integrity and ensure no further medicines pose a risk. The antibiotic involved here was manufactured by a company based in Madhya Pradesh, which adds complexity to the investigation.
Officials say that depending on the lab findings, legal action under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act may be initiated against the manufacturer, distributor or hospital officials. Meanwhile, hospitals in the region have been advised to cease use of the implicated antibiotic until testing is complete and to monitor children closely for any adverse reactions following ingestion of the syrup.
“When the medicine meant to heal shows signs of decay or contamination, trust itself becomes the casualty. Every bottle must be safe before it reaches a child.”
By
HB Team
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