Punjab govt bans sale of Coldrif syrup after death of 14 children in MP

The Punjab government has banned the sale, distribution and use of Coldrif cough syrup in the wake of 14 children dying in Madhya Pradesh, reportedly due to the consumption of the contaminated medicine.

An order issued by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Punjab government, on Monday said it has come to the notice of this office that Coldrif syrup has been declared as not of standard quality by the government analyst, drugs testing laboratory, and FDA, Madhya Pradesh.

The drug's batch number is SR-13, manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceutical, Bangalore Highways, Sunguvarchatram (Mathura), Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu.

The aforementioned drug formulation is reported to be adulterated, as it contains Diethylene Glycol (46.28 per cent w/v), which makes it injurious to health," the order said. 

Considering the seriousness of the matter, as the said product has been observed to be linked to the recent deaths of children in the Chhindwara district, Madhya Pradesh, the above-mentioned product is hereby completely prohibited for sale, distribution and utilisation in the state of Punjab with immediate effect in public interest," the Punjab FDA order said.

It also said that all retailers, distributors, registered medical practitioners and hospitals and healthcare institutions, etc., in Punjab shall not purchase, sell or utilise the said product.

If any stock of the drug is available in the state, the information may be provided to the FDA (drugs wing), the order said.

The deaths of children due to suspected renal failure were reported from Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh in a month.

The cough syrup, manufactured in Tamil Nadu, was found to be dangerously adulterated with Diethylene Glycol (DEG), a highly poisonous substance.

The tragic deaths triggered a national health alert, leading to suspensions of officials in Madhya Pradesh, arrests, nationwide stock confiscations, and immediate, stringent changes to drug prescription guidelines in states like Kerala and Karnataka.