Madhya Pradesh doctor who prescribed toxic cough syrup to children arrested

A doctor in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district has been arrested after 11 children died allegedly after consuming contaminated Coldrif cough syrup, officials said early Sunday (October 5), amid a growing outcry over the tragedy. Most of the children had been treated at the clinic of Parasia-based paediatrician Dr Praveen Soni who reportedly prescribed the syrup. He is a government doctor and prescribed the syrup to children who had come to his private clinic, sources said.

Also read | Centre, states crack down on contaminated drugs after deaths from toxic cough syrup

The Madhya Pradesh government has also registered a case against Srisan Pharmaceuticals, a Tamil Nadu-based company from Kanchipuram district that manufactured Coldrif. Authorities had earlier imposed a ban on the sale of the syrup after samples were found to contain 48.6% diethylene glycol, a highly toxic industrial chemical.

Sale of Coldrif banned

The state government has banned the sale of Coldrif cough syrup, with officials stating the drug samples were found to contain a highly toxic substance. Tests conducted by the Drug Testing Laboratory in Chennai, under the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Drug Control, declared the syrup “Not of Standard Quality.” In response, local officials in Chhindwara banned the sale of both Coldrif and another cough syrup, Nextro-DS, as a precautionary measure. While the Coldrif test results were received on Saturday, the report for Nextro-DS is still awaited.

According to bereaved families, the children initially showed mild symptoms of cold and fever in early September and were prescribed routine medicines, including cough syrup. Although their condition briefly improved, it soon worsened, with symptoms such as decreased urine output and kidney complications, eventually leading to their deaths. Kidney biopsies later confirmed the presence of diethylene glycol, the same toxic substance found in the syrup samples.

Among the deceased, 11 children were from Parasia, two from Chhindwara, and one from Chaurai. Financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh was sanctioned for the kin of the 14 deceased children, officials said.

Drug regulator widens probe

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has also initiated risk-based inspections at the manufacturing units of 19 drugs, including cough syrups and antibiotics, across six states, the Union health ministry said on Saturday.

A team comprising experts from the National Institute of Virology, the Indian Council of Medical Research, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, CDSCO and AIIMS-Nagpur, among others, are analysing various samples to assess the cause of deaths in and around Chhindwara, it stated.

Meanwhile, samples from the affected children have been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune, while further tests on the syrup's adulteration and contamination are underway.

Extremely tragic, says CM

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav described the incident as “extremely tragic” and vowed stringent action against those responsible.

“The deaths of children in Chhindwara due to Coldrif syrup are extremely tragic. The sale of this syrup has been banned across Madhya Pradesh. A ban is also being imposed on the sale of other products from the company that manufactures the syrup,” Yadav posted on X on Saturday. He said the state government had requested Tamil Nadu authorities to test Coldrif since the manufacturing facility is located in Kanchipuram.

Also read | Tamil Nadu bans 'Coldrif' cough syrup after 11 child deaths in MP, Rajasthan

“The investigation report was received this morning. Strict action has been taken based on the report. Following the tragic deaths of the children, action was underway at the local level. A team has also been formed at the state level to investigate this matter. The guilty will not be spared at any cost,” he added.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan, which reported three similar deaths, along with Tamil Nadu and Kerala, has also banned the sale of Coldrif syrup.