At least 20 young children, all under the age of five, have tragically passed away in central India after ingesting a toxic cough syrup, as per local sources. The fatalities occurred in Madhya Pradesh, where the children consumed a cough medicine that contained diethylene glycol in levels nearly 500 times above the permitted amount. Diethylene glycol is a harmful substance utilized in industrial solvents and antifreeze, known to be lethal even in small doses, particularly for children, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Authorities have taken into custody S. Ranganathan, the proprietor of Sresan Pharmaceutical Manufacturer, the producer of the lethal Coldrif syrup. Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Rajendra Shukla stated that 20 children from Chhindwara, Betul, and Pandhurna districts lost their lives in this tragic incident. Ranganathan, located in Tamil Nadu, was apprehended in Chennai on Wednesday.
Following his court appearance, Ranganathan will be transferred to Chhindwara, as mentioned by the city’s superintendent of police, Ajay Pandey. Local drug control authorities have intensified their efforts to withdraw the tainted medicine from circulation, conducting random tests and even conducting door-to-door visits to retrieve Coldrif bottles.
Harendra Narayan, the district administrator, revealed that around 30-40 bottles were collected through these measures, in addition to recalls from retailers and stockists. He disclosed that 594 bottles of the syrup had been distributed to pharmaceutical distributors in the area over the past six weeks.
Indian pharmaceutical manufacturers are obligated by law to test each batch of raw materials and final products. Since 2023, cough syrup exports have required extra scrutiny at government-approved laboratories, following the deaths of more than 10 children in Gambia, Uzbekistan, and Cameroon linked to Indian syrups.
Indian authorities have cautioned against the consumption of two other locally available syrups – Respifresh and RELIFE – produced by Shape Pharma and Rednex Pharmaceuticals in Gujarat, after tests indicated the presence of the same harmful chemical.
In a statement, the WHO expressed deep concerns regarding the situation in India and highlighted several critical issues, including the potential risks of contaminated products being exported through unregulated channels and the need to identify and eliminate any contaminated pharmaceutical materials in circulation.
India stands as the third-largest drug manufacturer globally in terms of volume, following the United States and China. It supplies 40% of generic medicines used in the U.S. and over 90% of medications utilized in numerous African nations.