In Rajasthan, two children have died and others have gotten sick after taking a generic cough syrup that was given out for free at government health centers across the state. This is a very dangerous situation. The problem has led to an immediate official investigation and the banning of many batches of the medicine.
Deaths of Children Authorities said that two small toddlers died after using cough medicine that the government gave them.
Last Sunday, a five-year-old in Sikar district got the medicine after getting a prescription from a community health center (CHC). That night, his condition got worse very quickly, and he died on Monday morning while being taken to the hospital. At first, the child’s parents didn’t want to register a complaint or have an autopsy done, but subsequently, his maternal grandpa did file a formal complaint.
A two-year-old died in Bharatpur after getting the same syrup from a local health center. Nehni Jatav, the child’s grandmother, told the story of the tragedy, saying, “Three of my grandchildren drank the syrup.” After throwing up, two of them finally woke up, but Samrat never did.
Doctor Faints While Trying to Prove Safety
Adding to the scandal, Dr. Tarachand Yogi, the head doctor at the Bayana community health center, passed out while trying to verify the syrup’s safety. Dr. Yogi took a dose of the prescription in front of alarmed parents and was later found comatose in a car, some eight hours after taking it.
Official Action and Drug Ban
Ajay Phatak, the drug controller, started an investigation right away after hearing concerns from parents about their kids getting sick. The state has banned 22 batches of the cough medication in question.
Drug inspectors have taken samples from several places, such as Sikar, Jhunjhunu, and Bharatpur. They anticipate to get test results within three days.
Phatak also sent out a warning saying that children under five years old should not be given the syrup.
The event happened not long after a similar one in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district, where six children died of renal failure over the last month because officials say they drank cough syrup that was infected. This led to the region banning two specific syrups.