GG News Bureau
Chhindwara, 6th Oct: At least 16 children have died in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district after consuming contaminated cough syrup, exposing deep gaps in drug testing and regulatory oversight. Families who trusted doctors with routine prescriptions for cough and fever are now left devastated, learning that the syrup they gave their children was laced with poison.
The first death was reported in early September, and within two weeks, six children under five had died of kidney failure. Biopsy reports revealed the presence of diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical used in industrial products such as brake fluid and ink, but lethal when consumed. Most victims had been prescribed Coldrif and Nextro-DS syrups.
From Cough to Kidney Failure
Parents across Chhindwara recount the same story: children developed cough, cold, or mild fever, were given syrup, and within days, began vomiting and stopped urinating. Dialysis followed, but most could not survive. Seven-year-old Devansh’s mother recalled, “The first dialysis lasted one and a half hours. Then three. Then five. On the last day, the doctor said they had done all they could.”
Government’s Delayed Response
Even as media reports linked the deaths to the syrup, Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Rajendra Shukla initially denied contamination, saying preliminary tests showed no fault. However, Tamil Nadu’s drug authority later confirmed Coldrif syrup samples contained 48.6% diethylene glycol.
On October 4, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav admitted the link and announced a ban on Coldrif syrup across the state. The government has also ordered a high-level probe.
National Alarm Over Cough Syrups
The tragedy echoes global incidents. In 2022, at least 70 children died in Gambia from contaminated syrups, while Jammu and Kashmir saw 17 deaths in 2020 linked to a faulty batch. The World Health Organisation has tied such poisonings to over 300 child deaths worldwide since 2022.
Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava has directed states to ensure rational use of cough syrups in children, while ICMR Director General Dr Rajiv Bahl has urged doctors not to prescribe such medicines at all.
Families Shattered, Livelihoods Lost
For grieving families, the loss has been compounded by crushing financial burdens. Many sold land, pawned jewellery, or mortgaged property in desperate attempts to save their children.
Yasin Khan, who lost his three-year-old son Usaid, sold his auto-rickshaw to fund treatment. “Now there’s no son, no work, and no hope,” he said. Another father, Prakash Yaduvanshi, mortgaged his farm and spent ₹7 lakh trying to save his son Devansh. “We don’t want money. We want justice for every child who was given that poison,” Usaid’s mother said.
The Madhya Pradesh government has announced ₹4 lakh compensation for each victim’s family. But for parents who buried their children, the amount means little compared to their loss.
