Coup syrup death: Toxic cough syrup kills 4-year-old from MP

The child from Madhya Pradesh died months after being in a coma.

Last year, in September-October, at least 24 children reportedly diedafter consuming a cough syrup. The shocking deathof a4-year-old from Madhya Pradesh happened recently after consuming the cough syrup, following which the child was in a coma for months.

Critically ill child dies after being in a coma for months.

A 4-year-old boy from Madhya Pradesh died at AIIMS Nagpur, months after he fell critically ill and slipped into a coma after allegedly consuming Coldrif cough syrup, said officials. Last year, this came into the spotlight when at least 24 children died after consuming the cough syrup, which was found to contain a highly poisonous compound that causes renal failure. The recent death case due to the cough syrup is of a 4-year-old Harsh from Tikabarri village in MP’s Betul district bordering Chhindwara. He was in a coma for more than four months and was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital in Nagpur, where he took his last breath on Sunday night, said an official on Monday.

The child’s health kept deteriorating after consuming the cough syrup.

Dr Manoj Hurmade, Betul’s Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO), confirmed the child’s death and said the post-mortem examination was conducted in Nagpur on Monday, and the body was handed over to the family. Harsh’s uncle, Shyam Yadav, said his nephew was undergoing treatment under Dr S S Thakur in Parasia, Chhindwara, and the child’s condition deteriorated after consuming the cough syrup prescribed by him. The child remained admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for months, his uncle said.

Investigations show the syrup contained diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical that causes kidney failure. Following the death of several children from Chhindwara and Betul districts, the Drug Controller General of India had also conducted a probe into the matter. Subsequently, the company owner and a government doctor who recommended the syrup were arrested in the case. In the first week of October, the Madhya Pradesh government banned the sale of Coldrif cough syrup. Officials earlier said that a sample of the cough syrup tested by a government Drug Testing Laboratory in Chennai was declared “Not of Standard Quality” by the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Drug Control.