Amid nationwide concern over the toxic cough syrup tragedy in Madhya Pradesh, another alarming incident has surfaced from Gwalior, where a government hospital is under investigation after a woman claimed that worms were found in a bottle of antibiotic medicine given to her child.
Following the complaint, officials sealed the entire stock of Azithromycin oral suspension&mdash;a commonly prescribed antibiotic for children at the Morar Government Hospital. All 306 bottles of the medicine have been seized, and samples have been sent to Bhopal&rsquo;s state laboratory and the Central Drug Laboratory in Kolkata for detailed testing.
According to Drug Inspector Anubhuti Sharma, the antibiotic was a generic formulation manufactured by a Madhya Pradesh-based pharmaceutical company. While the woman&rsquo;s bottle was reportedly opened before being brought to officials, a preliminary inspection of other bottles did not reveal visible contamination. However, testing is being conducted to ensure safety.
This comes shortly after 24 children died in Chhindwara district due to suspected kidney failure linked to adulterated Coldrif cough syrup, which has drawn national and global scrutiny.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has already issued an international alert against three substandard Indian-made syrups, Coldrif, Respifresh TR, and ReLife, citing potential links to toxic ingredients.
The Gwalior case has once again raised serious concerns over drug quality control and public health safety in India&rsquo;s medical supply system.

Gwalior hospital under probe after worms seen in Azithromycin bottle given to child

Worms Found in Child Antibiotic Bottle

Gwalior hospital under probe after worms seen in Azithromycin bottle given to child

October 16, 2025 | 17:07 IST