Coldrif Ro explained: How a cough syrup led 14 children and led a nationwide rift

Last update:October 06, 2025, 13:27 IST

Cough started in the form of regular recipe for cough and cold, 14 child’s deaths ended, causing a license to cancel, and a multi-state crack on toxic syrup

A pediatric cough syrup created by Chennai-based company Srison Pharmaceuticals is at the center of a serious drug-protection failure. In Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh, 14 children treated for regular winter and later developed acute kidney failure and died. Later test found that cough syrup They consumed – Coldrif – In which it was said 48.6 percent Diethylene Glycol (DEG) was also detected with ethylene glycol, by volume.

Both chemicals are industrial solvents and are prohibited for medicinal use because even small amounts can be fatal, especially for children.

Once laboratory results were confirmed, Tamil Nadu banned Stock ordered from products and shelves. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) recommended the cancellation of Srison’s manufacturing license, which has been canceled, and criminal proceedings against the company have started.

in parallel, Union Ministry of Health advised all states and center areas That cough and cold syrup should not be determined to children under two years of age.

How to discover contamination?

The pattern emerged slowly, then at once. In the first half of September, Chhindwara recorded a link to pediatric deaths by suspected kidney failure. Families described a uniform arc: a minor respiratory disease, a prescription consisting of the kidney shutdown after cold, a brief improvement, and then a sudden decline in urine production.

By 18 September, the district officials were considering it as an emergency.

Investigators discovered prescription Dr. Praveen SoniA government pediatrician, who practiced privately in Parasia, Madhya Pradesh. The police arrested him and suspended him. The FIR has named both Dr. and Srison Pharmaceuticals, which calls Section 276 (sales of sociable drugs) of the Indian Joint Code and Section 27A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, which causes death.

In the respective order, the Comptroller, Food and Drugs Administration, Madhya Pradesh, directed the drug inspectors across the state on October 4 to stop the cold distribution immediately, which reflect the severity of findings from the laboratory in Tamil Nadu.

Chemical evidence is Stark. The analysis of a government analyst at the drug testing laboratory in Chennai declared the syrup “not of standard quality”, 48.6 percent (w/v) recorded dyethylene glycol, a level that gives the drug dangerous to health.

SR -13, built in May 2025 and ended April 2027, led Batch -13.

To dismiss widespread contamination, the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), National Institute of Virology (NIV) and CDSCO visited Chhindwara and Nagpur. Samples were tested at NIV Pune, Central Drug Laboratory, Mumbai and Neeri, Nagpur.

The conclusions were narrow, but decisive: Nine out of 10 drugs met quality standards, while Coldrif failed to DEG beyond the allowed boundaries alone.

Carefully, the administration also suspended the sale of Nextro DS, some children had taken another cough syrup; The results of its final test are awaited.

What are diathylene glycol and ethylene glycols, and why are they fatal?

Diathylene glycols and ethylene glycols are clear, syrupic fluids are widely used in the industry, such as antifies ezer, brake fluid, paint, color and resin. They are not fit for ingestion. In the body, they can trigger metabolic acidosis and can cause rapid kidney and liver failure, neurological damage and death. Children are particularly weak because small doses can overwhelms organs.

A part of the danger is how easily these solvents can be messengers as a valid drug if the purchase and tests are loose.

The World Health Organization has added similar contaminants to the number of large -scale casualties in many countries.

In 2022, Gambia reported the death of a seventy child, WHO released a series of global alerts; It now estimates the death of more than 300 children worldwide from DEG/EG poisoning from 2022.

How has states responded?

The Chhindwara tragedy has inspired action in several states, restrictions and recovery from recovery.

Madhya Pradesh has imposed a blanket ban on Coldrif and all products by Sinson Pharmaceuticals. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav called death “very sad”, And said that the state will ensure that “the convict is not spared.” He also announced financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh for the families of children who died due to cough syrup consumption.

In Tamil Nadu, the state government banned its sales and distribution from October 1 after detecting 48.6 percent of Diathylene Glycol of laboratory tests. The manufacturer’s license has been canceled, criminal proceedings have started, and the Drugs Control Department has issued a public notice warning against the sale or consumption of syrup.

The Food and Drug Administration of Maharashtra has stopped the sale and seized the stocked stock of implicated batch, while Kerala has distributed suspended “Out of an abundance of caution.” Health Minister Veena George said that the flag -based batch was not distributed in the state, but confirmed that all eight distributors and pharmacies were directed to clean the shelves. Telangana has instructed a public warning to stop using hospitals, retailers and wholesaler immediately.

In Uttarakhand, Health Secretary Dr. R. Rajesh Kumar directed the district officials to ensure that no cough or cold medicine is given to children under two years of age.

Rajasthan, which reported the death of four children during the same period, said that its investigation has not established any connection between the deaths and the quality of Coldriff, although the precautionary monitoring continues.

What the officials have said

Union Health Secretary Puni Salila Srivastava held all the states and union regions in an emergency meeting on Sunday to tighten compliance and monitoring. States were directed to implement the modified Schedule M, India’s advanced good manufacturing practices and to flagged non-transport units for immediate action.

Drug Controller General of India Dr. Rajiv Raghuvanshi said that manufacturers would have to align with revised criteria by December 2025, given that risk-based inspections in 19 units in six states are already running.

Director General of ICMR, Dr. Rajiv Bahl and Director General of Health Services Dr. Sunita Sharma stressed that most pediatric cough is self-confined and does not require medication, and indicated that national guidelines on rational use of pediatric syrup would be issued soon.

what happens next?

The priority for investigators is how a toxic solvent entered a pediatrical formulation. The CDSCO and Tamil Nadu Drug Control Department are detecting the purchase and production chain of Srison for the Batch SR-13. In Madhya Pradesh, Dr. Praveen Soni remains under investigation to determine the syrup for perceived negligence and despite adverse effects.

The policy-wise, the Union Health Ministry has ordered the states to audit pediatric syrup manufacturers and submit a compliance report within 30 days. Monitoring has been intensified through the integrated disease monitoring program, and inter-state coordination is strengthened so that unusual groups are flagged and tested rapidly.

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