Cough syrup-related deaths: Pharma factory in Tamil Nadu probed after 9 children die from consuming 'Coldrif' in MP

Tamil Nadu State Drug Control Department to inspect and take action against the Srisan Pharmaceutical Factory located in Kancheepuram (ANI image)

Multiple drug control officers from Delhi and Chennai investigated the manufacturing unit of a Pharmaceutical Factory in Tamil Nadu's Sunguvarchatram, where atleast nine children died from consuming allegedly spurious cough syrup in Madhya Pradesh.

The probe was initiated after Madhya Pradesh State Food and Drug Controller Dinesh Kumar Maurya requested the Tamil Nadu State Drug Control Department to inspect and take action against the Srisan Pharmaceutical Factory located in Kancheepuram.

#WATCH | Tamil Nadu: Following the deaths of children in Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh after consuming a cough syrup prescribed by doctors, Madhya Pradesh State Food and Drug Controller Dinesh Kumar Maurya requested the Tamil Nadu State Drug Control Department to inspect… pic.twitter.com/Em6yEGNUMM

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Meanwhile, Dr Pawan Nandurkar, Associate Professor and Head of Paediatrics in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara district, said that the death toll of children has risen to nine. While doctors have said that the kidney problems and deaths of children could be linked to consuming the cough syrup Coldrif, the problems could be something else entirely, which would be known after the investigation.

Doctor Nandurkar said, "Recently, reports indicated that 7 of our children had died, but now it appears the number has increased to 9. The deaths and the kidney injury case are linked to the cough syrup called Coldrif, which everyone is blaming. However, investigations are still ongoing, and it's possible that the kidney injury was caused by something else altogether."

He further stated that the sample of the cough syrup is sent for testing. "The reports are still pending. Samples of the syrup suspected of causing the deaths have also been collected and sent for analysis. The complete extent of its responsibility will become clear once the report is received".

Earlier in the day, samples of a cough syrup linked to the deaths of several children were collected from a pharmaceutical unit in Jabalpur on Friday and were sent for laboratory testing, an official said.

According to the families of the affected children, initially, the children suffered from colds, coughs, and fevers. After that, their kidneys become affected, and their condition worsens.

The Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO), Dr Naresh Gunnade, said that authorities from the Centre and the State were called to probe the reason behind the kidney failures. They have collected the sample and sent it for examination, whose report is yet to arrive.