Chhindwara: The tragic death toll from the adulterated cough syrup crisis in India rose to 24 after two more children from Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district died of suspected kidney failure while undergoing treatment in Nagpur, Maharashtra, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
The latest victims include nine-month-old Divyanshu Yaduwanshi from Parasia town and three-year-old Ambika Vishwakarma from Kakai Bohana, said Additional Collector Dhirendra Singh.
Yaduwanshi passed away at a Nagpur hospital on Sunday, while Vishwakarma, who had been admitted to New Health City Hospital in critical condition on September 14, succumbed on Tuesday night. Singh added that two more children are still receiving treatment for suspected complications caused by the cough syrup.
Scope of the Tragedy
So far, 24 children, mostly under the age of five, have died after being administered Coldrif, a cough syrup now linked to kidney failure. Additional deaths have also been reported in Rajasthan, where at least three children allegedly died after consuming contaminated cough syrup in different districts.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an alert against three substandard syrups identified in India: Coldrif, Respifresh TR, and ReLife.
Tests conducted in early October revealed alarming contamination levels. On October 2, Tamil Nadu’s Directorate of Drugs Control found Coldrif samples were not of standard quality. Three days later, Madhya Pradesh reported that one sample contained 48.6% diethylene glycol, far exceeding the permissible 0.1% limit for impurities.
Legal Actions and Bans
Following the findings, MP Police arrested Dr. Praveen Soni, a Chhindwara-based doctor, for alleged negligence. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) later arrested G. Ranganathan, owner of Tamil Nadu-based Sresan Pharma Company, on October 9.
In response to the crisis, multiple states — including Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Puducherry, West Bengal, and Delhi — have banned the implicated formulations.
The Tamil Nadu government additionally revoked Sresan Pharmaceutical’s manufacturing license and shut down the company on Monday, as authorities continue investigating the widespread contamination.
Cough Syrup Tragedy In India: Death Toll Rises To 24 As Two More Children Die In Chhindwara
