In the wake of the deaths of at least 14 children in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district, reportedly linked to the consumption of Coldrif cough syrup, the Kerala government has announced a complete ban on the medicine and introduced stricter regulations on pediatric drug sales.
No Pediatric Medicine Without Doctor’s Prescription: Kerala Health Minister
Health Minister Veena George on Tuesday said a special committee has been constituted to review the management and distribution of pediatric cough syrups across the state. The Health Department has directed the State Drugs Controller to prohibit pharmacies from selling any cough syrup or pediatric medicine to children without a doctor’s prescription.
Minister George also clarified that the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited (KMSCL) — the state’s medical procurement agency — has never stocked or distributed Coldrif syrup in government hospitals. “It’s unfortunate that 16 children died by consuming this cough syrup Coldrif. The Government of India has issued an advisory on the consumption of cough syrup. In Kerala, the Drugs Controller has issued a notification banning the particular cough syrup Coldrif in all the pharmacies across the state,” she said.
“We don’t have this in our essential drugs list. This is not being supplied by the KMSCL, which is our corporation that supplies medicine to government hospitals. But, we are ensuring that the sale is not happening in private hospitals and pharmacies,” the Kerala Minister added.
Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh government has taken administrative action, transferring Drug Controller Dinesh Maurya and suspending two drug inspectors and a deputy director of the Food and Drug Administration. The decision followed a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
Other states have also stepped up vigilance. Maharashtra’s FDA has advised citizens to avoid using the flagged batch of Coldrif, Telangana has instructed district officials to spread awareness about contaminated syrups, and Karnataka has ordered enhanced checks on pediatric drug supplies.
