A Delhi Mohalla clinic is facing the ire of the public after a case of a toddler falling sick because of dextromethorphan poisoning has come to the fore. The child was taken seriously ill after she was administered dextromethorphan syrup by a mohalla clinic in the city, a report published in the New Indian Express said.
The toddler was immediately rushed to Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital on Thursday evening and put on a ventilator support system after suffering from respiratory failure.
The toddler is now in stable condition. Following the incident, there was anger among residents against the mohalla clinic that gave the child dextromethorphan syrup, which allegedly put her life in danger and caused her respiratory problems.
3 children died in December 2021 after consuming cough syrup administered at neighbourhood clinic in Delhi
However, this is not the first time that Delhi mohalla clinics have come under the scanner for their dangerous and potentially fatal treatment practices. In December 2021, 16 children were poisoned and admitted to Kalawati Saran Children’s hospital in New Delhi after allegedly consuming a cough syrup that was administered by a mohalla clinic run by the state government. 3 of those 16 children died in the incident.
Reportedly, an inquiry that was carried out by the central government revealed that the children were poisoned by the drug after it was administered to them on the prescription of the state-run mohalla clinics.
Following the incident, the Director-General of Health Services (DGHS) of the Union health ministry had asked the Delhi government to send a notification to all dispensaries and mohalla clinics to stop the prescription of the drug to children who are less than four years of age. The drug was a cough suppressant, which is manufactured by a multinational company. The DGHS has also suggested that the drug should be withdrawn in the public interest due to its side effects.
A senior paediatrician had then said, “This drug is a centrally acting cough suppressant. It causes side-effects such as sedation and, therefore, it is not given to children. However, the side effects cannot be so serious in so many children. It is possible that the drugs were contaminated, or there were other issues. It needs detailed investigation and appropriate action.”
Mohalla Clinic, the flagship healthcare model promoted by Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP govt in Delhi
It is worth noting that Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) had launched ‘Mohalla Clinics’ as their flagship healthcare model to strengthen the primary healthcare system in the city. According to a senior health official, there were more than 500 mohalla clinics in Delhi at one point. A mohalla clinic consists of a doctor and a midwife-cum-nurse and gives a wide range of diagnostic services and essential medicines free of cost to patients.
