The Madhya Pradesh government on Saturday banned the sale of Coldrif syrup following the death of nine children due to suspected kidney infection in Chhindwara district since September 7.
"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 other products of the company that manufactures the syrup," Chief Minister Mohan Yadav stated on X.
The syrup was manufactured at a factory in Kanchipuram. Following the incident, the state government requested that the Tamil Nadu government conduct an inquiry. The investigation report was received this morning, and strict action has been taken, he stated.
Following the tragic deaths of the children, action was underway at the local level. A team has also been constituted at the state level to investigate the matter, Yadav said, adding that the guilty will not be spared.
According to officials, nine children have died due to suspected renal failure since September 7. Currently, 13 children, including eight from Chhindwara and Nagpur, are undergoing treatment.
Earlier, the Tamil Nadu government too banned the sale of cough syrup 'Coldrif' and ordered its removal from the market .
The toll in the case reached nine in Madhya Pradesh while media reports said of two infants died in Rajasthan.
With effect from October 1, the sale of the cough syrup manufactured by the city-based firm, has been prohibited across Tamil Nadu, an official of the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department said.
Earlier, the Tamil Nadu government too banned the sale of cough syrup 'Coldrif' and ordered its removal from the market
With effect from October 1, the sale of the cough syrup manufactured by the city-based firm, has been prohibited across Tamil Nadu, an official of the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department said.
Inspections were conducted at the pharmaceutical company's manufacturing facility in Sunguvarchathram in neighbouring Kancheepuram district during the last two days and samples have been collected, he said.
The company, he said, supplies the medicines to Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry.
The samples would be sent to the government run laboratories to test for the presence of the chemical 'Diethylene Glycol', he told PTI.
Taking cognisance of the infant deaths, the Union Health Ministry on Friday issued an advisory to all States and Union Territories, directing that cough and cold medications should not be prescribed to children under the age of 2 years.
The advisory, issued by the Directorate General of Health Services, comes amid reports of child deaths allegedly linked to contaminated cough syrups in Madhya Pradesh and similar reported incidents in Rajasthan.
The food safety official said, "The department has been asked to prevent the sale of the syrup and freeze the stocks from October 1."
The samples collected from the facility would be also be tested by the Union government.
Responding to a query, he said, the syrup has been supplied to Puducherry, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh by the company.
According to the Drug department, the company has been ordered to halt production of the syrup at the facility till the reports from the laboratories are out.
"We expect the report to be released in the coming days," he said.
Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath blamed mixing of 'brake oil solvent' in cough syrups for the deaths of children with a suspected kidney ailment in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara district since September 7.