The Union Health Ministry on Friday, October 3, issued an advisory to all states and Union Territories after at least 11 children died in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, allegedly after consuming cough syrups.
The ministry urged states to ensure rational use of paediatric syrups, caution doctors against indiscriminate prescriptions, and warn parents against self-medication.
In Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district, nine children reportedly developed kidney complications and died following cough syrup use. Two similar deaths were reported in Rajasthan. Local authorities have since banned 22 batches of a syrup and suspended medical staff pending investigation.
A controversial incident in Rajasthan drew public outrage when a senior doctor drank the syrup in front of the media to prove its safety but collapsed shortly after.
Laboratory tests on the syrups are underway, though initial reports suggest no confirmed link to kidney failure. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu has preemptively banned the sale of “Coldrif” syrup and frozen its stock.
Health experts have reiterated that most childhood coughs are viral and self-limiting, stressing the need for tighter regulation of paediatric medicines.
