Cough syrup deaths: Several states intensify health safety measures; officials suspended in MP

Bhopal/Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 6 (PTI) Several states ramped up actions on Monday to halt the consumption and supply of Coldrif cough syrup following 14 fatalities of children linked to the medicine in Madhya Pradesh, where the government suspended three officials and transferred the drug controller.

These deaths due to suspected renal failure were reported from Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh in a month.

The cough syrup, manufactured in Tamil Nadu, was found to be dangerously adulterated with the highly poisonous substance Diethylene Glycol (DEG).

The tragic deaths triggered a national health alert, leading to suspensions of officials in Madhya Pradesh, arrests, nationwide stock confiscations, and immediate, stringent changes to drug prescription guidelines in states like Kerala and Karnataka.

The Kerala Health Department, under Minister Veena George, ordered that no medicines should be given to children under 12 without a doctor's prescription.

The Karnataka Health Department issued an advisory to healthcare institutions not to prescribe or dispense cough and cold syrups to children below the age of two.

According to medical experts, DEG is a highly toxic industrial chemical and is used as a cheaper, yet highly toxic, substitute for legitimate pharmaceutical solvents like propylene glycol (PG) or glycerin (also called glycerol).

Manufacturers fraudulently or accidentally substitute the safe ingredient for the toxic one to cut costs, especially in cough syrups.

Officials confirmed that samples of the medicine, manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceutical, Kancheepuram (Tamil Nadu), contained over 48 per cent of DEG.

Following the tragedy, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordered a major overhaul of the state's drug administration and suspended two drug inspectors, Gaurav Sharma and Sharad Kumar Jain, and Deputy Director, Shobhit Costa, of the food and drug administration.

The state Drug Controller, Dinesh Maurya, was transferred after police registered an FIR and arrested Dr Praveen Soni of Chhindwara for alleged negligence. A case was also registered against the Tamil Nadu-based Coldrif syrup manufacturing company.

The sale of the syrup has been banned statewide, with the chief minister directing a massive campaign to confiscate all remaining stocks from shops and recover the medicine from families in Chhindwara and surrounding districts.

Yadav also stressed that combination drugs must not be prescribed to children under four years of age, citing a legal provision, and ordered prosecution for doctors who violate this.

He visited Parasia and consoled the kin of the deceased, vowing "strict action" and declaring, "no negligence will be tolerated." A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed by the police to probe the deaths, which are also reported to have included two children in MP's Betul district. Eight children from Chhindwara are currently receiving treatment in Nagpur hospitals.

Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari demanded the immediate removal of Health Minister Rajendra Shukla (who is also the Deputy CM), calling the action against a single doctor "eyewash" and a move to shield senior officials.

Patwari asserted that a doctor is not a laboratory and should not be solely blamed for the toxic contents of the medicine.

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh accused Shukla of giving a "clean chit" to the manufacturer of the medicine even as the investigation is ongoing, terming the entire episode a "huge scandal".

"Children had to suffer the consequences of this huge mistake by the state government", Singh told PTI Videos.

The scare has quickly spread, leading to precautionary measures nationwide, with the Kerala Health Department, under Minister Veena George, ordering that no medicines should be given to children under 12 without a doctor's prescription.

The Kerala health department has called for strict enforcement and emphasised that even old prescriptions are invalid.

A three-member expert panel was set up to study the use of cough medicine and formulate new guidelines. The sale of the problematic batch of Coldrif syrup was immediately suspended, though officials confirmed the batch was not distributed in Kerala.

In Karnataka, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao sounded an alert, instructing officials to verify if the "substandard" syrup was sold in the state.

He clarified that no such incident has occurred in Karnataka, but samples of all cough syrup brands are being collected for precautionary testing.

The Telangana government also directed all District Medical and Health Officers to sensitise the public about the toxic syrup alert and strictly implement the Union Health Ministry's advisory against prescribing or dispensing cough and cold medications to children under two, and generally for ages below five years.

The contaminated syrup batch was reportedly distributed in Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Puducherry.

The Tamil Nadu government, where the manufacturing unit (Sresan Pharmaceutical, Kancheepuram) is located, had already banned the sale of Coldrif syrup after receiving reports of deaths in MP and similar fatalities in Rajasthan.

The Tamil Nadu Drug Controller's finding that the sample was "adulterated" with DEG formed the basis of the statewide bans. The Chhattisgarh Health Department has issued immediate directions to all Chief Medical and Health Officers (CMHO) and Civil Surgeons across districts to strictly enforce the Centre's guidelines.

The Commissioner of Health Services stated that cough and cold medications should only be administered based on a medical prescription and that no negligence will be tolerated.

In Maharashtra, the FDA appealed to the public and chemists to immediately stop the sale or use of Coldrif Syrup, urging immediate reporting to the nearest Drugs Control Authority.

Officials are coordinating with Tamil Nadu to trace the distribution of the affected batch.

All drug inspectors and assistant commissioners have been directed to alert retailers, wholesalers, and hospitals to immediately freeze available stock, the FDA said in a statement.

Amid concerns over the quality of cough syrups, the Union Health Ministry on Sunday underlined the need for all drug manufacturers to comply with the Revised Schedule M and warned that strict action would be taken against violators.

The crisis highlights a critical failure in drug quality and safety control, and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, National Centre for Disease Control, and state drug regulators have joined hands to avoid similar tragedies. MAS TGB ND KH AMP SJR ROH SA TKP GK BNM VT SKL NSK