Giving wrong medicine to baby; medical store shut down, owner likely to be arrested today

KANNUR: The police temporarily downed the shutters of the medical store for giving wrong medicine to an eight-month-old baby. The police action was following the protests. The owner of the medical store is likely to be arrested today.

Instead of giving Calpol syrup prescribed for fever, the medical store gave Calpol drops. The baby’s liver is in a critical condition after given the drops. The child is presently undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit of a private hospital in Kannur.

Muhammad, son of E P Sameer of Pazhayangadi in Kannur and Hafsath, was given the wrong medicine. Doctors have reportedly prescribed treatment including a liver transplant.

The baby was taken to the doctor on March 8 for fever. The doctor prescribed to give 5 ml Calpol syrup twice daily. The drops given by Khadija Medicals in Pazhyangadi Town were from the same company. When the parents gave the baby 5 ml drops instead of 5 ml syrup, the medicine prescribed for four days got over after given twice. This deteriorated the child’s condition. When approached the doctor again, understood that the baby was administered drops instead of the syrup.