Tamil Nadu bans 'Coldrif' cough syrup after 11 child deaths in MP, Rajasthan
State food safety officials have halted production at the Chennai-based Pharmaceutical firm and collected samples to test for traces of toxic Diethylene Glycol
The Tamil Nadu government has banned the sale of the cough syrup 'Coldrif' and ordered its withdrawal from the market after suspicions linking it to the deaths of 11 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Also Read: 7 children die of kidney failure allegedly caused by contaminated cough syrup
Cough syrup banned across Tamil Nadu
Effective October 1, the sale of the syrup, manufactured by a Chennai-based firm, has been prohibited across the state, an official from the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department confirmed.
Inspections were conducted at the pharmaceutical company’s manufacturing unit in Sunguvarchathram, Kancheepuram district, over the past two days, and samples were collected, the official said.
The firm reportedly supplies the medicine to Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Puducherry. The samples will be tested in government-run laboratories to test for the presence of the chemical Diethylene Glycol, the official told PTI.
Health Ministry issues advisory
In light of the child deaths, the Union Health Ministry on Friday (October 3) issued an advisory to all states and Union Territories, instructing that cough and cold medications should not be prescribed to children below the age of two.
The advisory, released by the Directorate General of Health Services, follows reports of child deaths allegedly linked to contaminated syrups in Madhya Pradesh and similar cases reported in Rajasthan.
The food safety official added that the department has been instructed to prevent the sale of the syrup and freeze stocks from October 1. The samples collected from the facility will also undergo testing by the Union government.
Also Read: India bans anti-cold drug combination after 141 deaths in Africa, Asia
Production halted
The Drug Department has directed the company to halt the production of the syrup until test results are available. “We expect the report to be released in the coming days,” the official said.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Kamal Nath alleged that the mixing of a "brake oil solvent" in cough syrups was responsible for the deaths of children with suspected kidney ailments in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district since September 7.
The toll in the district has risen to nine, while media reports suggest two additional infant deaths in Rajasthan.
(With Agency inputs)