Cough syrup deaths: Congress demands removal of Madhya Pradesh health minister

Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh: Madhya Pradesh Congress head Jitu Patwari on Monday demanded the removal of Health Minister Rajendra Shukla following the death of 14 children in Chhindwara due to suspected renal failure, linked to the consumption of a “toxic” cough syrup.

Merely taking action against a doctor is not sufficient, Patwari told reporters after he reached Parasia town to express solidarity with the families of the deceased children.

The Madhya Pradesh government has banned the sale of Coldrif cough syrup, with officials stating the drug samples have been found to contain a highly toxic substance.

Of the 14 children who died, 11 were from Parasia sub-division here, two from Chhindwara city and one from Chaurai tehsil.

Two children in MP's Betul district have also died allegedly after taking Coldrif cough syrup, according to health officials.

Dr Praveen Soni from Chhindwara has been arrested for alleged negligence in connection with the child deaths, while a case has been registered against the maker of the Coldrif cough syrup, they said.

While Patwari claimed 16 deaths took place due to the toxic cough syrup, the official figure stands at 14 in Chhindwara district.

The Congress leader noted that Chief Minister Mohan Yadav is scheduled to visit Parasia on Monday.

"If he really wants to sympathise with the kin of the victims, then he should have dismissed the health minister (Rajendra Shukla- who is also the deputy CM) before landing here in Chhindwara district," he said.

Asked about the FIR registered only against a doctor for prescribing that medicine, Patwari said, "A doctor is not a laboratory. Whatever contents were shown to him in a medicine, on that basis only he prescribes it. Doctors across the state have given that syrup and therefore, based on this logic, the services of all of them should have been terminated."

The chief minister should order the dismissal of the state health minister, drug controller, principal secretary and commissioner of the health department, and not just a doctor, he demanded.

"It is eyewash and an attempt to save the minister," the Congress leader charged The state health minister had earlier said there was no such (harmful) content in the drug, but a report from Tamil Nadu clearly pointed it out, he claimed.

The Madhya Pradesh police have formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the children's deaths.

The Tamil Nadu drug control authorities, in their report of October 2, declared the Coldrif syrup sample (Batch No SR-13; Mfg: May 2025; Exp: April 2027) manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceuticals, Kancheepuram, as adulterated because it contained diethylene glycol (48.6% w/v), a poisonous substance "which may render the contents injurious to health".

Following the report, the Madhya Pradesh Food and Drug Administration issued instructions to stop further sale and distribution of Coldrif statewide and immediately seize any available stock for investigation under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. It also ordered that other products manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceuticals be removed from sale pending testing.

The Tamil Nadu government on October 3 banned Coldrif following reports of deaths in Madhya Pradesh and at least three similar fatalities in Rajasthan due to suspected kidney infections.