Chhindwara toxic cough syrup deaths spark accountability demands

Madhya Pradesh Congress President Jitu Patwari has demanded accountability from the state government following the deaths of 24 children in Chhindwara, allegedly caused by toxic cough syrup. Reports indicate that the children, many under five years old, suffered severe kidney damage and multi-organ failure after consuming ‘Coldrif’ cough syrup.

Investigations revealed that samples of the syrup contained 48.6 percent diethylene glycol (DEG), significantly exceeding the permissible limit of 0.1 percent. Patwari questioned how the product remained on the market for months and criticized the decision to reinstate the former Chhindwara drug inspector, Gaurav Sharma, to a position in Guna while a departmental inquiry remains pending.

The Congress leader highlighted concerns regarding the regulatory oversight of medicinal products, the presence of interstate networks for codeine-based syrups, and the shortage of drug inspectors and laboratory capacity in the region.