7 children die of kidney failure allegedly caused by contaminated cough syrup

The government’s nodal agency for disease surveillance, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has collected water and entomological samples from hospitals and other sites in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan where several children have died of kidney failure after allegedly consuming contaminated cough syrup.

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Tests underway

Officials said the samples will be tested to rule out the possibility of any infectious disease, and the results will be shared with the respective state drug authorities once available.

At the same time, state drug authorities are carrying out their own tests on the cough syrup batches, the results of which are still awaited.

The recent deaths of children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have been linked to the syrup, triggering an official probe and a subsequent ban on its distribution.

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Child deaths trigger ban

According to a PTI report quoting official sources, an NCDC team visited the affected districts to collect the samples.

Six children died in Chhindwara district in Madhya Pradesh due to kidney failure after allegedly consuming the cough syrup, while Rajasthan’s Sikar district reported one death.

In response, the Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation (RMSCL) has banned the sale and use of 19 batches of the syrup, while the state health department has issued advisories urging parents, doctors, and medical practitioners to remain vigilant.

(With agency inputs)