The death toll from suspected drug poisoning among children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan has risen to 12, prompting the Rajasthan government to suspend the state drug controller and halt the distribution of medicines manufactured by Kaysons Pharma, based in Jaipur, officials reported.
As part of this response, the Medical and Health Department of Rajasthan has stopped the supply of all 19 medicines produced by Kaysons Pharma until further notice. Furthermore, the distribution of all cough syrups containing Dextromethorphan has been suspended.
Drug Controller Rajaram Sharma has been placed under suspension for allegedly influencing drug standard determinations, as stated by the department.
The surge in fatalities has raised new questions about their cause. Officials noted that laboratory tests conducted on cough syrup samples from Chhindwara district, where nine children have died since early September, showed no traces of diethylene glycol (DEG) or ethylene glycol (EG)—industrial chemicals linked to acute kidney injuries.
Previously, six deaths had been reported earlier in the week. Biopsy reports referred to by Chhindwara district collector Sheelendra Singh had suggested significant DEG contamination in kidney tissue among the affected children. However, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare affirmed that the analysis of broader batches of cough syrup is still underway.
In light of these developments, a multi-disciplinary expert team has been established to investigate alternative hypotheses. This team includes representatives from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), National Institute of Virology (NIV), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), AIIMS Nagpur, Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), and various state authorities, who will examine possibilities such as contaminated water, disease vectors, and respiratory pathogens.
Madhya Pradesh drug controller DK Maurya indicated on Friday that testing of antibiotic medications revealed no signs of contamination, with clean results for three out of 13 samples analyzed.
Currently, 13 children remain hospitalized in Nagpur, four of whom are in serious condition. All these patients exhibited similar initial symptoms, including fever and cold, followed by urination difficulties. Health officials have screened approximately 1,400 children thus far, without identifying any severe bacterial or viral infections that could account for the deaths.
To mitigate further risks, health officials are examining about 120 children daily for early detection and treatment. The first death linked to this crisis was reported on September 4.
Mordongri sub-divisional magistrate Saurav Kumar Yadav confirmed an additional child’s death on Thursday night and urged parents to refrain from seeking treatment from unqualified practitioners, advising them to alert authorities if any child falls ill.
Initial investigations have identified two cough syrups consumed by the deceased children: Coldrif, which has been manufactured for over 20 years by a Tamil Nadu-based company in Sunguvarchatram, and Nexa/NEXTRO-DS, which has been produced in Himachal Pradesh for the past 18 months.
Tags: Rajasthan, drug controller, Kaysons Pharma, cough syrup, suspension
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