Tamil Nadu government bans sale of 'Coldrif' cough syrup following death of 11 children in MP, Rajasthan
PTC News Desk: The Tamil Nadu government has banned the sale of cough syrup 'Coldrif' and directed its removal from the market following suspicious linking it to the death of 11 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The government has prohibited the sale of cough syrup manufactured by the city-based firm, has been prohibited across Tamil Nadu, an official of the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department said.
Inspections were conducted at the pharmaceutical company's manufacturing facility in Sunguvarchathram in neighbouring Kancheepuram district during the last two days and samples have been collected.
The company, he said, supplies the medicines to Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry.
The samples would be sent to the government run laboratories to test for the presence of the chemical 'Diethylene Glycol'.
The food safety official said, "The department has been asked to prevent the sale of the syrup and freeze the stocks from October 1." The samples collected from the facility would be also be tested by the Union Government.
Earlier, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has issued an advisory cautioning against the use of cough syrups in young children following the deaths of 11 minors in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Preliminary investigations revealed that at least five of the deceased children had consumed Coldref syrup, while one had taken Nextro syrup. In response, private practitioners have been instructed not to treat viral infections independently and to immediately refer such cases to civil hospitals.
- With inputs from agencies
