Tamil Nadu Bans Coldrif Cough Syrup Following Child Fatalities in Multiple States

The Tamil Nadu government has implemented a ban on 'Coldrif' cough syrup and ordered its immediate withdrawal from the market following suspected links to the deaths of 11 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

According to an official from the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, the sale of this cough syrup, manufactured by a Chennai-based pharmaceutical company, has been prohibited across Tamil Nadu effective October 1.

Authorities conducted thorough inspections at the company's manufacturing facility located in Sunguvarchathram, Kancheepuram district, over the past two days. Multiple samples were collected during these inspections for laboratory analysis.

The official mentioned that the pharmaceutical company supplies medicines to several states including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and the union territory of Puducherry.

The collected samples will be sent to government laboratories to test for the presence of 'Diethylene Glycol', a potentially harmful chemical substance.

In response to these infant fatalities, the Union Health Ministry issued a comprehensive advisory on Friday to all States and Union Territories, explicitly instructing that cough and cold medications should not be prescribed to children under 2 years of age.

This advisory, issued by the Directorate General of Health Services, comes amid concerning reports of child deaths allegedly connected to contaminated cough syrups in both Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The food safety official further stated, "The department has been instructed to prevent the sale of the syrup and freeze all existing stocks from October 1." Additionally, the samples collected from the facility will undergo testing by the central government.

According to the Drug department, the manufacturing company has been ordered to suspend production of the cough syrup at their facility until laboratory test results are available.

"We anticipate the laboratory reports will be released in the coming days," the official added.

Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath has attributed these tragic deaths to the mixing of 'brake oil solvent' in cough syrups, which he claims caused kidney ailments among children in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara district since September 7.

The death toll has reached 9 in Madhya Pradesh, while media reports indicate that two infants have also died in Rajasthan.