A deadly outbreak linked to Coldrif cough syrup has claimed the lives of multiple children, exposing a tragic case of diethylene glycol (DEG) poisoning and raising urgent concerns about drug safety and regulation.
1. WHAT HAPPENED?
Around 10 children below the age of 5 died in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district due to kidney-related complications after allegedly consuming Coldrif cough syrup. The syrup was prescribed by a government pediatrician named Dr Praveen Soni in Chhindwara. Deaths were also reported in Maharashtra.
Later, two children died in Rajasthan due to the alleged consumption of another cough syrup named Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide.
2. ARREST & SUSPENSION
Dr. Ankit Sallam, Block Medical Officer (BMO) of Parasia, lodged a complaint against Dr. Soni. Thereafter, Dr. Soni was arrested.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan government suspended Drug Controller Rajaram Sharma after the death of children following the consumption of cough syrups distributed under the Chief Minister’s Free Medicine Scheme.
3. LAB TEST
Samples of the cough syrup collected from Madhya Pradesh tested negative for contamination. However, test of samples collected from Coldrif’s manufacturing unit in Tamil Nadu revealed that the syrup has presence of 48.6% diethylene glycol (DEG). This is a highly toxic substance and its concentration in the syrup was extremely dangerous. It is to be noted that the permissible limit for DEG is only 0.1%. The samples were tested at a government lab in Chennai.
DEG, which breaks into toxic acids after entering the human body, is used in antifreeze, brake fluids, cosmetics, lubricants and other products.
4. WHICH STATES HAVE BANNED IT?
Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have banned the sale and distribution of Coldrif cough syrup and its stocks have also been removed from the market.
Telangana has also ordered immediate ban of Coldrif.
Following these three states, Maharashtra government also ordered an immediate halt to the sale, distribution and use of Coldrif syrup belonging to batch number 13.
Moreover, Rajasthan has frozen stocks of the syrup and is mulling over a possible ban.
5. WHO’S THE SUPPLIER?
Sresan Pharma, a Tamil Nadu–based pharmaceutical company, is the manufacturer of the Coldrif cough syrup, which is now under investigation for the deaths of 11 children. The company’s production facility has been sealed as samples undergo testing. A criminal probe into Sresan Pharma is underway.
Apart from cough syrups, the pharma company supplies protein powders, pharmaceutical syrups and herbal child growth syrups.
Meanwhile, Kayson Pharma is the manufacturer of the Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide syrup, which is behind the deaths in Rajasthan. Its syrup was being distributed in the state under the Chief Minister’s Free Medicine Scheme. Notably, Kayson Pharma was blacklisted several times in the past, as many of its medicines were reportedly found to be substandard. The company is based at a village in Jaipur.
The Rajasthan government has halted the distribution of all 19 medicines supplied by Kayson Pharma.
6. GOVT ADVISORY
The Union Health Ministry has issued a fresh advisory urging doctors and pharmacists not to prescribe or dispense cough and cold medications to children under the age of two.
The Ministry emphasized that these medicines are generally not recommended for children under five years old. For older children, their use should only follow a thorough clinical evaluation and must be closely supervised by healthcare professionals.
7. WHY DIETHYLENE GLYCOL IS DEADLY FOR KIDS?
According to the National Library of Medicine, diethylene glycol (DEG) is a toxic chemical linked to numerous mass poisonings involving medications. Exposure to DEG can lead to serious health consequences. Initial signs, such as nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain, may seem minor, but the condition can rapidly worsen. In children, it can progress within days to kidney failure, seizures, and coma, with a high risk of death. Over the past 70 years, at least ten major DEG-related poisoning incidents have been documented.
This substance is especially toxic to children because their organs are still developing and they have a smaller body weight.
8. LEGAL CRACKDOWN
An FIR has been registered over Coldrif tragedy under several sections, including Section 105 (BNS), which deals with culpable homicide not amounting to murder; and Section 279 (BNS), which deals with adulterating a drug in a way that makes it harmful. Section 27(A) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of India has also been imposed. Sresan Pharma and Dr. Soni is mentioned in the FIR.
9. AID & INVESTIGATION
The Madhya Pradesh government has announced an ex-gratia of ₹4 lakh for the families of the deceased children.
The state government has also formed a special investigation committee (SIT) for investigation into the matter.
“The guilty will not be spared at any cost,” CM Mohan Yadav said.
10. PAST GLOBAL COUGH SYRUP TRAGEDIES LINKED TO INDIA
In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued global alerts on contaminated Indian-made cough syrups after the deaths of children in The Gambia and Uzbekistan. The syrups, later found to contain toxic chemicals like diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, were linked to nearly 70 child deaths in The Gambia in 2022 and at least 65 deaths in Uzbekistan. WHO said poor manufacturing standards were to blame.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also issued a warning against India-made cough syrups after medicines contaminated with toxins were found in Iraq.
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