&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "WHO issues alert after toxic Indian cough syrups linked to child deaths in Madhya Pradesh")
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a global health advisory after three contaminated cough syrups manufactured in India were linked to the deaths of several children in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district. The WHO in its advisory identified the syrups as specific batches of Coldrif (Sresan Pharmaceutical), Respifresh TR (Rednex Pharmaceuticals), and ReLife (Shape Pharma). The global health body's advisory comes as India widens its investigation into the deaths. Reports suggest that the state Police have informed a sessions court that Dr Praveen Soni, a government paediatrician in Chhindwara, who was arrested in the case, allegedly received a 10 per cent commission from Sresan Pharmaceutical for prescribing the adulterated Coldrif syrup.
WHO warning on Indian cough syrups
The WHO in its health advisory said that the three cough syrups contained toxic levels of diethylene glycol — nearly 500 times the permissible limit — and warned that the products posed significant, potentially life-threatening risks.
Were the contaminated cough syrups exported to the US?
No, India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) had earlier informed the WHO that the affected syrups were reportedly consumed by children under the age of five who later died in Chhindwara. The regulator added that there was no evidence of the products being exported or shipped illegally abroad. The US Food and Drug Administration also confirmed that none of the toxic syrups had entered the American market.
Did Dr Praveen Soni receive a commission for prescribing dangerous cough syrups?
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Police, as per reports, told a session court that Dr Praveen Soni received a 10 per cent commission from Sresan Pharmaceutical for prescribing the adulterated Coldrif syrup. Earlier, on Oct 8, the court had denied Soni's bail plea saying that he “knowingly prescribed and allowed administration of a dangerous adulterated drug that could cause child deaths” even after a December 2023 government directive prohibited the use of certain fixed-dose combinations for children under four. The probe report submitted by the police alleges that 15 children have died under his treatment.
Soni has denied the allegations, saying he merely prescribed the medication in good faith and had no knowledge of its contamination. His lawyer argued that testing drug quality was the responsibility of the Drug Controller Department.
