Cough Syrup Under Scanner After 6 Children Die in MP; Probe Widens to Rajasthan

A nationwide health alert is underway after at least six children died in Madhya Pradesh and several others fell seriously ill in Rajasthan, with investigations pointing to the suspected role of contaminated cough syrup. A central team from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has rushed to Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district to collect samples, while authorities in Rajasthan have halted the distribution of specific syrup batches and launched a high-level probe.

The investigation gained urgency following a string of tragic incidents across both states. In Madhya Pradesh, six children have died over the past month from suspected kidney infections, with symptoms like high fever and difficulty urinating appearing after they reportedly consumed two types of syrups, including Coldrif and Nextro-DS, which have now been banned by the district administration. Similarly, in Rajasthan, the death of a five-year-old boy in Sikar and the critical illness of a three-year-old in Bharatpur have been linked to a dextromethorphan hydrobromide syrup supplied under the state’s free medicine scheme.

In response, the Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation Limited (RMSCL) has suspended the distribution of the implicated batches, manufactured by Jaipur-based Kaysons Pharma, and formed a three-member committee to investigate.

This action was taken after formal complaints were received regarding batch numbers KL-25/147 and KL-25/148. Officials noted that while over 133,000 patients had received the syrup since June without prior issue, the recent cluster of cases prompted immediate action. The state’s Drug Controller confirmed that the entire supply has been suspended pending test results, which are expected within days.

A crucial point emerging from the preliminary probe is that the syrup may have been inappropriately prescribed, as all affected children were under the age of four, while dextromethorphan is primarily indicated for adults. Health experts are now cautioning parents against the unsupervised use of over-the-counter cough medicines for young children. As central and state authorities await definitive lab results, the incidents have cast a harsh spotlight on the quality control and prescription practices within public health schemes.