Telangana Issues Alert Over Coldrif Syrup After Child Deaths; Kerala, MP, Rajasthan Put Ban

The recent alert over Coldrif cough syrup has once again drawn attention to India's recurring battle with drug safety lapses. After reports of child deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the Telangana government has joined the growing list of states taking precautionary measures.

The state's Drugs Control Administration (DCA), in a circular titled "Stop Use Notice Regarding Coldrif Syrup (Batch No. SR-13)", warned of possible diethylene glycol (DEG) contamination - a toxic industrial compound that has caused mass fatalities in past pharmaceutical incidents. The DCA has directed officials to halt sales and distribution immediately, while tracing supply chains linked to Tamil Nadu.

Coordinated State Actions

The ripple effect has been swift. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Madhya Pradesh have all imposed bans on Coldrif syrup and related products from the same manufacturer. Kerala's Health Minister Veena George confirmed that while no contaminated bottles were detected in her state, sales have been suspended as a precautionary step.

In Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav took an even firmer stance. In a post on X, he announced a ban on all drugs from the company, citing an inquiry report from Tamil Nadu that confirmed contamination. "Stringent action has been taken against the manufacturer," Yadav stated.

Investigations and Findings

The turning point came after inspections at the Kancheepuram-based pharmaceutical plant, where Tamil Nadu's Food Safety and Drug Administration Department found that Batch SR-13 of Coldrif syrup contained diethylene glycol. The chemical, when ingested, can cause acute kidney failure, particularly in children.

This discovery triggered an inter-state alert system, prompting other states to review their drug inventories.

The Human Impact

In Madhya Pradesh, nine children have died and thirteen remain hospitalized, eight of them from Chhindwara and Nagpur. Local authorities believe all cases are linked to the same contaminated batch. Tamil Nadu has ordered an immediate market withdrawal of the product.

Parents of the affected children are demanding accountability, as the tragedy echoes similar episodes in recent years where toxic ingredients in syrups led to deaths in The Gambia, Uzbekistan, and even parts of India.