Cough Syrup Toll Climbs to 23; Tamil Nadu Pharma Owner Held
The owner of Sresan Pharma, a pharmaceutical company based in Tamil Nadu, has been arrested in connection with the deaths of at least 23 children who consumed a contaminated cough syrup manufactured by the company. G. Ranganathan, 75, was apprehended early Thursday morning at his residence in Chennai by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) with assistance from Chennai City Police. He faces charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and adulteration of drugs.
The implicated cough syrup, sold under the brand name Coldrif, was manufactured at a Sresan Pharma unit in Tamil Nadu. Testing revealed the syrup was contaminated with diethylene glycol (DEG), a toxic substance used in industrial solvents. Even small amounts of DEG can be fatal if ingested. The central drug regulator CDSCO has informed the World Health Organization (WHO) that the syrup, along with two other brands, has been recalled.
The tragic deaths occurred over the past month, primarily in Madhya Pradesh, with the children, all under the age of five, developing kidney failure after being prescribed the syrup. Seventeen of the fatalities were reported in the Chhindwara district, with others in Betul and Pandhurna. Following the deaths, Madhya Pradesh and other states have banned the product.
The incident has triggered a nationwide alert, with regulators initiating testing, inspections, and audits of drug manufacturers. Show-cause notices have been issued, and authorities have reported unhygienic storage practices and noncompliance with testing and quality control guidelines. Two local drug inspectors have been suspended. A state police SIT is investigating potential criminal liability for the manufacture and distribution of adulterated drugs.
The federal health ministry is considering revoking Sresan Pharmaceuticals' license. Tamil Nadu's Health Minister, Subramanian, stated the state had stopped procuring Coldrif after confirming adulteration and had banned its sale. He assured that steps would be taken to permanently close the pharma company.
This is not the first time that cough syrups manufactured in India have been linked to such tragedies. In 2022, over 70 children died in Gambia, and between 2022 and 2023, 68 children died in Uzbekistan after consuming contaminated syrups produced in India. These incidents have brought increased scrutiny to India's drug regulation and damaged its reputation as the world's third-largest producer of drugs and pharmaceuticals by volume.
The WHO has requested clarification from Indian officials regarding potential exports of the toxic cough syrup. The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has directed all states and union territories to strictly comply with the Drugs Rules, 1945, regarding raw material and finished product testing.
The incident has sparked public outrage and concern, with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed seeking a court-monitored probe and systemic drug-safety reforms. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the PIL.
