Rajasthan health dept denies cough syrup role in death of 2 kids

The Rajasthan Health Department has clarified that the recent deaths of two children in Bharatpur and Sikar districts were not due to cough syrup supplied under the state’s free medicine scheme.

The issue gained attention after the family of a five-year-old boy from Sikar alleged that he had been given Dextromethorphan syrup by the Chirana Community Health Centre (CHC). However, officials and medical reports suggest otherwise.

Dr Ravi Prakash Sharma, Director of Public Health, stated that investigations confirmed the children in both Bharatpur and Sikar were not prescribed Dextromethorphan HBr Syrup by doctors. According to him, the medicine was not part of the treatment at either location, and therefore could not be linked to the tragic deaths.

Conflicting reports and family’s claims

Despite the department’s clarification, the family of the Sikar boy has maintained their claim. They said the child was treated at Chirana CHC in early July and was prescribed the syrup, which they allegedly bought from the centre itself. In their statement, his grandparents and mother even provided the batch number, manufacturing date, and expiry date of the medicine.

However, the Chief Medical Health Officer’s (CMHO) report, contradicts this. According to the report, when the boy visited the CHC for itching and fever on July 7, he was prescribed several medicines including antibiotics, steroids, and allergy syrups, but not Dextromethorphan. The report also notes that after July 7, the child did not revisit the centre for treatment.

The cough syrup mentioned by the family was not supplied to Jhunjhunu district’s stock at all, the report added. Records showed that the Chirana CHC only received a fresh batch of the syrup on September 19, long after the boy’s treatment. This new batch was partly used, and the remaining stock was sealed and sent for quality checks after the child’s death. Samples were also taken by the drug control officer for testing, PTI reported.

"It appears that the cough syrup Dextromethorphan Hbr Syrup ...mentioned by the deceased's family members, was neither received nor distributed at the district drug store Jhunjhunu. Hence, the allegation made by family members about receiving cough syrup ...is baseless. No complaint of any kind related to this medicine has been received from any other medical institution in the district to date," the report stated.

Medicine records and ongoing probe

To further clarify, the CHC submitted its medicine stock ledger, which showed no supply of the syrup in July. It also confirmed in writing that the boy was given other medicines, such as Montelucast syrup, Omnacortil, Amoxicillin-Clavulanate, creams, and injections, but no cough syrup.

The health department has emphasised that no other complaint regarding this particular cough syrup has been reported from any medical facility in the district so far. Based on current findings, officials believe the family’s claim of receiving Dextromethorphan syrup from the CHC is unfounded.