A probe by Tamil Nadu’s Drug Control Department has uncovered severe irregularities in the company that manufactured the Coldrif cough syrup linked to the deaths of children in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara.
The Tamil Nadu drug control team conducted an inspection of the syrup manufacturing facility and discovered more than 350 violations. The report highlighted unhygienic conditions at the plant, with the syrup being produced amid filth. The company was found severely lacking in skilled manpower, machinery, facilities and necessary equipment.
Toxic substances—propylene glycol and diethylene glycol—were found in the syrup. While propylene glycol is a less toxic industrial solvent generally considered safe for use in food, medicines and beauty products, it can become toxic in high quantities or with prolonged exposure.
Alarmingly, the report noted that the company had purchased 50 kilograms of propylene glycol without proper invoicing, which is an illegal act.
Toxic substances used in cough syrup
It is often the case that cheaper diethylene glycol is substituted for propylene glycol, a practice that has led to tragedies such as the Chhindwara incident. Diethylene glycol is commonly used as a solvent in industrial products like brake fluid, paint and plastics but must never be present in food or medicines.
Diethylene glycol is far more toxic to the human body than propylene glycol.
Death toll reached 15
The death toll in Chhindwara surged to 15 after the demise of a one-and-a-half-year-old girl. Dhani Dehriya, from Junapani village in Tamia, died on Tuesday in Nagpur. She had been undergoing treatment since September 26. Both of her kidneys had completely stopped functioning.
Several states intensify health safety measures
Several Indian states have stepped up measures to stop the use and sale of Coldrif cough syrup following the deaths of 14 children in Madhya Pradesh. These children reportedly suffered kidney failure after taking the medicine, which has raised serious concerns.
In Kerala, the health department issued a directive that children under 12 should not be given any medicine without a doctor’s prescription. Meanwhile, Karnataka’s health department advised hospitals and clinics to avoid prescribing or dispensing cough and cold syrups to children under two years old.
Jharkhand has taken a stricter step by banning the sale, purchase and use of three cough syrups—Coldrif, Respifresh, and Relife.
