Cough Syrup Turns Deadly: 11 Children Lose Lives in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan

Bhopal (The Uttam Hindu) : Fake cough syrup is proving to be a deadly poison in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. So far, 11 children have lost their lives in both states. Nine children have been confirmed dead in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara district alone, while two children have died in Bharatpur and Sikar in Rajasthan.

A painful case from Bharatpur:

A 2-year-old innocent child was taken to the community health center in Bharatpur complaining of cold. After being given the medicine and cough syrup prescribed by the doctor, the child fell asleep and did not regain consciousness for hours. When his condition worsened, he was referred to Jaipur, but after 4 days of treatment, he died. The family members have demanded an inquiry, holding the syrup responsible. Similarly, in Sikar too, a 5-year-old child died after being given cough medicine. The family members allege that there were already questions on the quality of the syrup being distributed free of cost at government health centers, but no action was taken.

Nine children have died of kidney failure and infection after being given cough syrup following a viral fever in the Parasia area of ​​Chhindwara district in Madhya Pradesh. SDM Shubham Yadav confirmed that a total of nine children have died so far.

Crackdown on pharma company: Kataria Pharmaceuticals in Jabalpur has been raided. It is alleged that this company had ordered 660 vials from a Chennai-based pharmaceutical company and hundreds of these syrups were supplied in Chhindwara. Samples of 16 vials have been sent to Bhopal lab for testing. After the incident, the administration has immediately banned the suspected cough syrup. The family members have alleged that their children have lost their lives due to negligence and poor quality. The case has also raised questions on the free medicine scheme of the health department.