Cough syrup tragedy: Kin of deceased children struggle to overcome devastation and debt

Parasia (MP), Oct 6 (PTI) For families in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district, tragedy struck twice, first when they lost their children to an adulterated cough syrup, and again when they were forced to sell their belongings in a desperate but futile attempt to save them.

Yaseen Khan, a resident of Parasia, lost his four-year-old son, Ussed, after the boy developed a mild fever and cough.

A local doctor prescribed Coldrif , the now-banned cough syrup, later found to be toxic. Unaware of the danger, Khan administered the syrup to his son as instructed. As Ussed’s condition worsened, he was referred first to a hospital in Chhindwara and then to Nagpur. He died on September 13.

"To save my son, I sold our only means of livelihood — my auto-rickshaw," Khan told PTI Videos, his voice shaking and eyes brimming with tears.

"Then my wife parted with all her wedding jewellery to cover the treatment costs," he said.

To add to their anguish, a portion of their small house collapsed while the family was away seeking medical help in Nagpur.

Their story is echoed across several villages in the district. Grieving parents are now battling crippling debt and poverty after doing all they could to save their children. Most victims belonged to lower-income families.

Vikas Yadav, a daily wage labourer, and his wife Kunti lost their younger son on September 27 after he too consumed the same adulterated syrup.

"We borrowed nearly Rs 5 lakh from relatives and villagers for treatment. Now we are stuck in debt, with no means to repay it," said Yadav, staring blankly.

In response, the Madhya Pradesh government has announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh for each bereaved family. But for many, the amount barely scratches the surface of their losses, both emotional and financial.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Monday visited some of the affected families in Chhindwara, assuring them of government support and strict action against those responsible.

"In response to the incident in Chhindwara, we have imposed a ban on the medicines of the relevant factory in Tamil Nadu. Instructions have also been given to ban the medicines of the other two factories. The Central government and the Tamil Nadu government have been informed about the entire incident. We govern with sensitivity," Yadav stated on X.

He maintained that the government stands with the victims.

State Congress president Jitu Patwari, who also met victims' families, accused the government of administrative failure and demanded the resignation of the Health Minister, Rajendra Shukla.

The death of 14 children from Chhindwara due to suspected renal failure, linked to the consumption of the cough syrup, in a month, has triggered a wave of nationwide outrage and apprehension.

Among the 14 victims, 11 were from Parasia sub-division, two from Chhindwara city, and one from Chaurai tehsil.

Eight children are being treated in Nagpur -- four in a government hospital, one at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and three in private facilities, according to officials.

MP Police have formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the fatalities and registered a case against the Coldrif cough syrup manufacturing company based in Tamil Nadu after drug samples were found to contain a highly toxic substance. PTI YPS MAS NSK