CHENNAI, Oct 4: The Tamil Nadu government has imposed a statewide ban on the sale of the cough syrup Coldrif following reports linking the medicine to the deaths of 11 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The ban, effective from October 1, also includes a directive to remove the product from all retail outlets, officials said.
An official from the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department confirmed that inspections were carried out over the past two days at the manufacturing facility of the city-based pharmaceutical company in Sunguvarchathram, Kancheepuram district. “The department has been asked to prevent the sale of the syrup and freeze existing stocks from October 1,” the official said.
The company, which supplies Coldrif to Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Puducherry, has been ordered to suspend production until laboratory test results are available. “Samples have been collected and will be tested in government laboratories to detect the possible presence of Diethylene Glycol,” the official added. The same samples will also undergo testing by the Union government.
The Union Health Ministry has taken serious note of the child deaths, prompting the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to issue an advisory on Friday to all states and Union Territories. The advisory directed that cough and cold medications should not be prescribed to children below two years of age.
The warning follows reports from Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district, where nine children have died since September 7, allegedly after consuming the syrup. Two more deaths have been reported from Rajasthan.
Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath alleged that the deaths were caused by “mixing of brake oil solvent” in the cough syrup, leading to kidney failure among the affected children. “The government must hold those responsible accountable for this criminal negligence,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu’s Food Safety Department said the lab results are expected soon. “We expect the report to be released in the coming days,” the official noted, adding that further action will depend on the findings.
The Coldrif episode has reignited concerns over drug safety and quality control in India’s pharmaceutical sector, which has faced repeated scrutiny following similar incidents of syrup-related child deaths abroad.
