The Punjab government has banned the sale, distribution and use of Coldrif cough syrup after reports that it caused serious side effects, including the death of 14 children in Madhya Prach, a state in central India.
The Punjab Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) issued an order saying the syrup does not meet the quality standards set by the government’s testing labs. The ban comes after investigations linked the product to recent child deaths in Chhindwara district, MP. The order, effective immediately, stops all sale, use and distribution of Coldrif in Punjab for public safety.
States across India are also acting. Uttar Pradesh has pulled Coldrif from pharmacies and labs. An assistant commissioner told drug inspectors to test every batch from the manufacturer, Shreesan Pharmaceuticals in Chhindwara, in both government and private facilities. The state also stopped the import and export of the syrup until further notice.
Kerala set up a committee to review how pediatric cough syrups are managed and asked the Drugs Controller to warn pharmacies against selling cough medicines to kids without a prescription. Veena George of the Kerala Medical Services Corporation confirmed that the state drug controller has banned the syrup and that KMSCL does not supply it to government hospitals.
Other states—Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Telangana—have issued advisories that shut down Coldrif sales.
While the Coldrif controversy unfolds, the Madhya Prach Food and Drug Administration found dangerously high levels of diethylene glycol (DEG) in two other cough syrups, ReLife and Respifresh TR. The standards allow no more than 0.1 % DEG, yet ReLife had 0.616 % and Respifresh TR 1.342 %. The drug controller seized the medicines and halted their sale.
These moves underscore growing concern over unsafe cough syrups in India and the urgent need for stricter quality checks to protect children’s health.
Source: aninews
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