The Chhindwara cough syrup tragedy continues to unfold, with the Madhya Pradesh government taking further action and the opposition Congress party escalating its criticism. The crisis, triggered by the deaths of several children allegedly linked to contaminated cough syrup, has resulted in the suspension of three officials and a heated exchange between the ruling party and the opposition.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav stated that the tragedy in Chhindwara, which resulted in the deaths of several children, stemmed from a tainted batch of cough syrup produced by a Tamil Nadu-based company. According to the Chief Minister, tests revealed that three out of nineteen samples failed, and the syrup induced liver and kidney damage. He further stated that the government has taken decisive action, including suspending key drug control officials. Furthermore, the doctor who prescribed the medication and stored it under his wife's name is being investigated. The Chief Minister also transferred the state's Drug Controller, Dinesh Maurya. The suspended drug inspectors have been identified as Gaurav Sharma and Sharad Kumar Jain.
The implicated cough syrup, Coldrif, manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceuticals based in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, was found to contain alarming levels of diethylene glycol, a toxic substance. A sample of the syrup, tested by a government drug analyst in Chennai, was declared "Not of Standard Quality" due to the presence of 48.6% diethylene glycol. This poisonous substance can cause severe kidney damage and other health complications. The state government has already banned the sale of Coldrif and another cough syrup, Nextro-DS, as a precautionary measure. The Uttar Pradesh government has also banned Coldrif cough syrup.
The Congress party has strongly criticized the state government's handling of the situation. Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath held the government responsible for the deaths, blaming the mixing of "brake oil solvent" in the cough syrup. Nath called the incident a "deadly failure of our healthcare system, monitoring mechanisms, and accountability" and demanded a Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigation monitored by the Supreme Court. The Congress is also demanding the removal of the state's health minister.
In response to the crisis, the state government has initiated several measures. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to investigate the deaths. Authorities have filed a case against Srisan Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Coldrif. The doctor who prescribed the syrup, Dr. Praveen Soni, has been arrested and suspended. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has announced ₹4 lakh compensation for the families of each deceased child and has pledged to cover the treatment costs for affected children.
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has launched risk-based inspections at 19 drug manufacturing units across six states. These inspections include cough syrups and antibiotics.
