Cough syrup deaths: Central drug regulator starts inspection in several states after tragedy in Rajasthan, MP
The action by CDSCO comes in the wake of child deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, allegedly due to contaminated cough syrups.
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has initiated risk-based inspection of drug manufacturing units in six states following the collection of 19 samples, including cough syrups, antipyretics, and antibiotics.
The action by the central drug regulator comes in the wake of child deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan allegedly due to contaminated cough syrups.
According to health ministry sources quoted in a PTI report, the manufacturing units under scanner are located in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
The aim of the testing exercise, which began on Friday, is to identify gaps that may have led to drug quality failures and also suggest process improvement to avoid such incidents in future.
The union health ministry revealed that a multidisciplinary team comprising experts from the National Institute of Virology, the Indian Council of Medical Research, the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, CDSCO, and AIIMS-Nagpur, among others, is still analysing various samples and factors to assess the cause of deaths in and around Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh.
Twelve children, including 9 in Madhya Pradesh, have died due to suspected renal failure since September 7. Three other deaths were reported in Rajasthan. Thirteen children, including eight from Chhindwara and Nagpur, are undergoing treatment.
Ban on Coldrif cough syrup
Chief minister Mohan Yadav announced in a post on X that the Madhya Pradesh government banned the sale of Coldrif syrup and other products by the manufacturer on Saturday.
The Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department tested samples of Coldrif Cough Syrup collected from the manufacturing unit of Sresan Pharma in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu.
According to the union health ministry, the results showed that the samples had Diethylene Glycol (DEG) beyond the permissible limit. The enquiry results prompted the Tamil Nadu government to ban the sale of the cough syrup and order its removal from the market.
Meanwhile, Kerala Drugs Control Department also suspended the sale of Coldrif cough syrup in the state following reports from other states that flagged issues with one of the batches, state health minister Veena George announced on Saturday.
The Rajasthan government has suspended the state drug controller and halted the distribution of all 19 medicines manufactured by Jaipur-based Kaysons Pharma until further orders.
Distribution of all other cough syrups containing Dextromethorphan has also been suspended.
Opposition demands compensation
Politics has heated up on the issue in Madhya Pradesh as senior Congress leader Kamal Nath on Saturday said the government must give ₹50 lakh each as financial assistance to families in Chhindwara that lost a child due to kidney failure after consuming adulterated cough syrup.
"So far, 10 children have died in Chhindwara after consuming the poisonous cough syrup. In this hour of grief, my condolences are with the bereaved families. But it must be remembered that this is not merely an accident but a man-made tragedy. I urge the Madhya Pradesh government to provide ₹50 lakh each to the families of the deceased children," Nath said in a post on X.
The families of some of the ailing children were paying from their own pockets for treatment, Nath said, while urging the BJP government in the state to fully cover all medical expenses. The senior Congress leader also called for a large-scale crackdown on spurious and toxic medicines in the state.
"The government should pay attention to what kind of medicines are being sold in the state. There is a need for a big campaign against fake and poisonous medicines so that such a tragedy does not recur," he added.
The Mohan Yadav government has sanctioned ₹4 lakh each as compensation to the families of the deceased.
