MP government to bear treatment costs for children affected by contaminated cough syrup

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government will bear the entire cost of treatment of children suffering from kidney infections after taking a contaminated cough syrup in Chhindwara and Betul districts, an official said on Tuesday.

Fourteen children from Chhindwara have died due to suspected renal failure, linked to the consumption of the "toxic" Coldrif cough syrup, as per officials.

Nine children, seven from Chhindwara and two from Betul, were undergoing treatment at various hospitals in Nagpur in neighbouring Maharashtra for kidney infections caused by the contaminated Coldrif cough syrup, an official said.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Tuesday directed the authorities to ensure that the administration bears the entire cost of treatment of these children, the official said.

To ensure proper treatment, a joint team of executive magistrates and doctors has been deployed at various hospitals in Nagpur.

The team was maintaining constant touch with the affected families and hospitals to ensure proper arrangements for the children's treatment, the official said.

The Madhya Pradesh government on Monday suspended two drug inspectors and a deputy director of the Food and Drug Administration amid the probe into the death of 14 children from Chhindwara.

CM Yadav also transferred the state's drug controller.

Dr Praveen Soni from Chhindwara has been arrested for alleged negligence, while a case has been registered against the Coldrif cough syrup manufacturing company.

The government has banned the sale of Coldrif cough syrup, manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceutical, Kancheepuram (Tamil Nadu), as the drug samples have been found to contain a highly toxic substance, according to officials.