The recent arrest of Dr. Praveen Soni, a pediatrician in Madhya Pradesh, for the deaths of several children allegedly linked to Coldrif cough syrup, raises a very pertinent question: Can a doctor be held responsible for contamination and poisoning of a drug he merely prescribed?

A pediatrician is highly unlikely to intentionally prescribe a contaminated or substandard formulation. Moreover, the responsibility for ensuring the quality, storage, and authenticity of medicines lies primarily with the manufacturer and pharmacist, not the prescriber.

As a doctor, does he have any control over the quality of the syrup being produced? Does he influence licensing or regulatory oversight of pharmaceuticals? These are the questions that should guide a fair investigation—not a hasty move to criminalize the physician without concrete evidence.

Blaming doctors without addressing the systemic lapses in manufacturing and regulation only diverts attention from the real culprits.