Bhopal/Chhindwara: The death toll from the toxic Coldrif cough syrup tragedy in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district has risen to 22, following the death of five-year-old Mayank Suryavanshi. 

Mayank, a resident of Khajri Antu village, was admitted to a hospital in Nagpur in critical condition and succumbed late Wednesday night to suspected kidney failure.

Officials confirmed that Mayank’s death is linked to the consumption of Coldrif, a cough syrup manufactured by Tamil Nadu-based Sresan Pharmaceuticals. The syrup has been found to contain diethylene glycol (DEG), a toxic industrial solvent that can cause acute kidney damage and death, especially in children.

The tragedy has triggered a massive investigation and public outcry. The Madhya Pradesh Police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the deaths and have arrested Sresan Pharma’s owner, Ranganathan Govindrajan, from Chennai.

The drug manufacturing unit in Kanchipuram has been sealed, and authorities are working to obtain transit remand to bring Govindan to Chhindwara for further interrogation.

In response to the mounting fatalities, the Madhya Pradesh government has suspended two drug inspectors and a deputy director of the Food and Drug Administration. The state’s drug controller has also been transferred.

The deputy chief minister has also removed Naresh Gonnade, Chief Medical and Health Officer of Chhindwara, on Wednesday. Also, Parasia-based Dr Praveen Soni was arrested for alleged negligence, though his arrest has sparked protests from the Indian Medical Association, which has threatened an indefinite strike in the district.

The Coldrif syrup was reportedly prescribed to children suffering from common colds and coughs. However, lab tests revealed dangerously high levels of DEG and other banned chemical combinations, including Paracetamol, Chlorpheniramine, and Phenylephrine, which lack warning labels and pose serious health risks.

Despite a central directive issued in 2023 banning such formulations for children under four, enforcement has been lax. Many pharmaceutical companies failed to update product labelling, and state authorities did not initiate adequate public awareness campaigns.

With several children still undergoing treatment in Nagpur hospitals, five of them in critical condition, the death toll may rise further. The Chhindwara tragedy has reignited concerns over drug safety, regulatory oversight, and accountability in India’s pharmaceutical sector. (IANS)