The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has instructed an immediate stop to the sale, distribution, and use of Coldrif Syrup after reports emerged of 14 children dying in Madhya Pradesh, allegedly due to consumption of the cough syrup.
According to reports, the deaths occurred in Chhindwara district, where an FIR has been registered against a government doctor and the manufacturing company.
In its advisory, the FDA said, “The Food and Drugs Administration, Maharashtra, has alerted the public to immediately stop sale and use of Coldrif Syrup, manufactured by Sresan Pharma, Sunguvarchathiram, Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu, after reports of child deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The syrup is allegedly adulterated with Diethylene Glycol (DEG), a toxic substance.”
FDA Maharashtra officials are coordinating with the Drugs Control Administration (DCA) of Tamil Nadu, where the manufacturer is located, to trace the distribution of the product batch in Maharashtra. All Drugs Inspectors and Assistant Commissioners have been instructed to alert retailers, wholesalers, and hospitals and to freeze any available stocks of the said batch.
The FDA has also urged the public to report possession of the drug directly through the toll-free number 1800-222-365, via email at jchq.fda-mah@nic.in, or on phone number 9892832289.
Meanwhile, in Chhindwara, government doctor Parveen Soni, who had prescribed Coldrif Syrup to several young victims, has been arrested and booked for causing death by negligence. The state government has also set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case.
As per reports, 14 children from Madhya Pradesh remain critical and are undergoing treatment in a Nagpur hospital. In the wake of the tragedy, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava on Sunday directed states and Union Territories to ensure strict compliance with Revised Schedule M and updated Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) by all drug manufacturers.
