New Delhi, Oct 7: India is once again facing questions over the safety of its cough syrups after a spate of child deaths in Madhya Pradesh was linked to a contaminated batch, the BBC has reported.
At least 11 children aged between one and six died in September after taking a locally available cough syrup that was later found to contain 48.6% diethylene glycol, a toxic industrial solvent known to cause kidney failure. A state laboratory in Chennai confirmed the contamination, prompting an immediate recall and nationwide investigation.
The tragedy evoked grim memories of earlier incidents. Between December 2019 and January 2020, at least 12 children under five reportedly died in Jammu after consuming a tainted syrup, while in 2023, Indian-made cough syrups were linked to the deaths of 70 children in The Gambia and 18 in Uzbekistan, according to the BBC.
Despite repeated promises of reform, unsafe syrups continue to surface, reflecting what experts call a “fragmented and weak regulatory system” that struggles to monitor hundreds of small manufacturers producing low-cost formulations sold over the counter.
India’s health ministry has urged doctors to ensure the “rational use” of such medicines and warned against prescribing them to young children. But experts say the issue runs deeper than poor regulation.
“Parents aren’t always well-informed, and they can become impatient. If a child’s cough doesn’t improve in a couple of days, they often consult another doctor who will give a cough syrup,” pediatrician Dr Kafeel Khan told the BBC.
Another pediatrician, Dr Rajaram D Khare, said most childhood coughs are viral and self-limiting, resolving on their own within a week. “I don’t usually prescribe cough syrups for ordinary coughs and colds — except occasionally for comfort. The main goal is relief, not treatment,” he added.
The BBC report noted that cough syrups remain among the most misused drugs in India — often sold without prescriptions, even by untrained rural practitioners. Public health expert Dinesh Thakur warned that in many small towns and villages, “patients turn to local chemists for advice, assuming the person behind the counter is a pharmacist; in 10 out of 10 times in rural India, that is a wrong assumption.”
With India’s cough syrup market expected to triple to $743 million by 2035, experts are calling for stronger regulation, better doctor training, and public awareness to prevent another wave of avoidable child deaths.
(With inputs from BBC)
