Maharashtra: Fourteen Children Battling for Lives After reportedly Consuming Contaminated Batch of Cough Syrup
Usage of cough syrups may lead to psychological disorders: Experts
At least 14 children from Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district, who were earlier administered the banned cough syrup India, are battling for their lives in several government and private hospitals in Nagpur after they developed acute renal failure.
The Madhya Pradesh police have constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case while the state government has suspended Dr Praveen Soni, a paediatric specialist in the Civil Hospital, Chhindwara district.
At least 14 children from Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district, who were earlier administered the banned cough syrup India, are battling for their lives in several government and private hospitals in Nagpur after they developed acute renal failure. Samples of the six children who died at GMCH-Nagpur tested positive for diethylene glycol (DEG) toxicity and the children died due to kidney and liver damage.
The first six deaths were reported to be due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES). “When doctors noticed that patients with cough and fever history had stopped urinating completely, we became suspicious Coldrif cough syrup case and shifted the focus to the possibility of poisoning,” a health official said.
The Nagpur Municipal Corporation is planning to release “imperative advisory” to doctors on the lines of warnings issued by the Central government on prescribing cough syrup poisoning India, especially to children below five years.
On Sunday, the Maharashtra government banned the cough syrup Coldrif, produced by Sresan Pharma, a firm in Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu. Dr Manish Tiwari, Head of the Pediatrics Department at GMCH said three MP kids hospitalised support and two are critical. “We have done a detailed analysis of the samples and have sent the samples of two children who died yesterday for central testing,” he said.
Dr Shashikant Shambharkar, Deputy Director of Health Services, said 14 children are being treated in government and Maharashtra hospital incident. “We have also ordered all public health facilities under six districts in Nagpur to not prescribe this syrup. Fortunately, we have no stock of Coldrif in any of our hospitals. If there is any evidence or information we will be forwarding it to our government,” he said.
Pediatric intensivist Dr Anupam Bahe, who is treating several children from Madhya Pradesh at Nelson Hospital, said some of the patients were also given other cough syrups of local companies.
