The World Health Organization has raised a global alarm regarding a tainted medication responsible for the deaths of around 20 children. Reports from India indicated that these youngsters, all under five years old, succumbed in central India after consuming a hazardous cough syrup. Tragically, these children, residents of Madhya Pradesh, passed away within the last month after ingesting the medicine, which contained diethylene glycol (DEG) at levels nearly 500 times above the permissible limit.
DEG, typically utilized as an industrial solvent or antifreeze agent, is extremely lethal even in minute quantities. Following the incident, Indian authorities apprehended S. Ranganathan, the owner of the company manufacturing the fatal Coldrif syrup. The WHO has now issued a warning concerning “oral liquid medicines” used in common cold, flu, or cough remedies after a report from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) of India on October 8. The organization identified specific batches of COLDRIF, Respifresh TR, and ReLife, produced by Sresan Pharmaceutical, Rednex Pharmaceuticals, and Shape Pharma, as contaminated.
In response, Indian officials have halted production at the implicated facilities and initiated a recall of the compromised products. While there is no evidence suggesting the tainted medicines were exported from India, the WHO recommends that countries consider monitoring unregulated supply chains. The agency cautions that these products could lead to severe and potentially life-threatening illnesses due to the toxic nature of DEG, which can be fatal to humans upon ingestion.
Symptoms of DEG poisoning include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, inability to urinate, headaches, altered mental state, and acute kidney injury that can prove fatal. Individuals who suspect exposure to the product are advised to seek immediate medical attention from healthcare professionals or contact a poison control center. Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Rajendra Shukla confirmed the tragic loss of 20 children due to the incident and highlighted the arrest of Ranganathan in Tamil Nadu.
Efforts are underway to eradicate the contaminated medicine from circulation, with local authorities conducting tests on random samples and actively retrieving bottles of Coldrif through door-to-door visits. District administrator Harendra Narayan reported that 594 bottles of the syrup had been sold to pharmaceutical distributors in the region over the past six weeks. Indian regulations mandate drugmakers to test every batch of raw materials and final products, with additional scrutiny required for cough syrups exported since 2023, following previous incidents in Gambia, Uzbekistan, and Cameroon linked to Indian syrups.
Furthermore, Indian authorities caution against two other locally sold syrups, Respifresh and RELIFE, manufactured by Shape Pharma and Rednex Pharmaceuticals in Gujarat, after tests revealed the presence of the same toxic substance.