Francesca Biagioli Dozens of children have died in India after taking contaminated cough syrups. This is not the first time it has happened and it refocuses attention on serious gaps in drug controls at the local level
What happened in India in recent weeks is truly unacceptable. In the districts of Chhindwara and Betul, in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, dozens of children were hospitalized with severe symptoms including vomiting, high fever and especially acute kidney failure. Parents couldn’t understand what was happening to their little ones and tragically, many didn’t make it: at least 21 children lost their lives.
After initial investigations, the truth emerged: all the children had taken the same cough syrup, Coldrif, manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceuticals.
What did it really contain? Laboratory analyses detected the presence of diethylene glycol, an industrial solvent toxic to the kidneys, in extremely high concentrations, almost 50%. This compound, used in industrial settings, is obviously not part of pharmaceutical formulations, especially not those intended for children.
Authorities reacted immediately by removing all contaminated batches from the market, arresting the company owner and suspending the doctor who had prescribed the syrup. Indian regulatory authorities then asked consumers to also avoid two other syrups, Respifresh TR and ReLife. None of the 3 products were exported outside the country.
The families of the victims, all under six years old, are now demanding justice while the Madhya Pradesh government has admitted shortcomings in the drug control system and promised to improve coordination between health authorities.
Previous incidents
This isn’t the first time India has been at the center of a scandal involving toxic syrup production. You may remember that in 2022, in Gambia, about 70 children died after taking cough syrups manufactured in India containing lethal levels of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol.
Also in Uzbekistan, in 2022, 20 children died for the same reason.
The problem, evidently, has not been resolved: the drug control system in India is fragmented and struggles to monitor hundreds of small manufacturers. Some, moreover, sell unapproved preparations, distributed freely and widespread especially in rural areas, where they are often administered by people without any medical expertise.
Source: The Times of India
