Punjab bans Coldrif cough syrup after 14 child deaths in MP linked to toxic ingredients. Other states follow suit as SC hears PIL on drug safety reforms.
Following the deaths of 14 children in the Madhya Pradesh district of Chhindwara, who were reportedly poisoned by the tainted medication, the Punjab government outlawed the use, sale, and distribution of Coldrif cough syrup throughout the state.
In its ruling, the Punjab Food and medicine Administration (FDA) stated that the medicine formulation Coldrif was allegedly adulterated since it included DEG (46.28 percent weight per volume), which is harmful to human health.
By doing this, the state joins Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Maharashtra in declaring a ban on cough syrup. Several states, including Telangana and Karnataka, have issued warnings and asked all health officers to educate the people against the usage of cough syrups.
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Individuals with knowledge of the situation say that a number of states are examining whether syrup from the specified batch has been distributed within their borders; some are even testing samples of cough syrup from all brands for contamination.
A public interest lawsuit (PIL) has been submitted to the Supreme Court, which aims to investigate and change medication safety procedures on a systemic level.
The PIL, which was filed by counsel Vishal Tiwari, calls for the creation of a national judicial commission or expert committee led by a retired Supreme Court judge and requests a court-monitored investigation into the instances.
The petition further argues that disparate state-level investigations have resulted in fragmented accountability, allowing for recurrent oversights that let dangerous formulas to be sold.
When the Tamil Nadu FDA discovered that a batch of Coldrif, produced by a Kancheepuram-based company, included pollutants such Diethylene Glycol (DEG), the problems for the drug started.
Based on the results of the inspection, drug regulator CDSCO has suggested initiating criminal procedures and canceling the production license for the unit that produced this specific Coldrif sample.