• Source:JND
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Coldrif Syrup Ban: Kerala has suspended the sale and distribution of cough syrup Coldrif, after the medicine was linked to the deaths of at least 11 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan over the past month. State Health Minister Veena George on Saturday announced that the Drugs Control Department has issued an immediate directive to stop the sale of the product as a precautionary measure.

The decision follows an ongoing investigation into alleged contamination in a batch of the syrup, manufactured by Tamil Nadu-based Sresan Pharma, located in Kanchipuram district.

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Kerala’s Preventive Ban On Coldrif Syrup

- In a statement issued in Thiruvananthapuram, Minister Veena George said that while the flagged batch was not detected in Kerala’s distribution channels, the government opted to take action "out of an abundance of caution."

- “The Drugs Controller has instructed inspectors to completely stop the distribution and sale of Coldrif syrup in the state,” George said, adding that all eight distributors currently handling the product have been instructed to immediately suspend operations, while medical stores have been ordered to remove existing stocks from their shelves.

- The Health Minister confirmed that samples of Coldrif and other cough syrups have been collected for laboratory testing, which is currently underway.

- Additionally, intensive operations are being conducted across the state to trace any further shipments that might have entered the markets through public channels.

- The minister further stated that the action follows National guidelines from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), which ban prescribing cough syrups to children under the age of two.

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Coldrif Cough Syrup Row

- Kerala’s decision to suspend the sale and distribution of Coldrif cough syrup follows similar moves by Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh, as the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) expanded its investigation across six states.

- The cough syrup crisis began in September when several children in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district suffered acute kidney failure allegedly due to contaminated cough syrup, resulting in nine deaths in MP and two in Rajasthan.

- The initial report suggests that the children consumed Coldrif or a similar formulation containing dextromethorphan.

- Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath alleged that the syrup was contaminated with toxic solvents like Diethylene Glycol or Ethylene Glycol, which can cause acute kidney failure.