The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) teams have visited hospitals in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, where children died of kidney failure over the past month due to the alleged use of contaminated cough syrup. According to the official sources, as reported by the news agency ANI, to rule out the possibility of any infectious disease, various samples, such as water and entomological drugs, are being tested by various agencies.
However, drug samples are being tested by the State Drug Authority and reports of the tests are still awaited. All related test results will be shared with the State authorities for further analysis and action, said Official sources.
Also Read | Rajasthan govt bans cough syrup after patients fall ill in Bharatpur and Sikar.
Meanwhile, six children died in one month of time period in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara district due to the alleged use of contaminated cough syrup. The district administration barred chemists from selling two cough syrups after tests indicated that they were allegedly contaminated and suspected of leading to kidney failure in children.
According to Chhindwara district collector Sheelendra Singh, the deaths of six children have been recorded from September 4, 2025, until now. Cough syrup given to children was allegedly contaminated with diethylene glycol. However, he stated that no new similar cases have occurred in the last 2 days.
Singh said, "The administration is vigilant. The health department is working on this. An investigation is being conducted by experts...Some doctors suggested that syrups and drugs should be used with precaution."
A few samples have been collected. An advisory has been issued for doctors and parents to refrain from using certain syrups for the time being, as a precautionary measure...Parents have been advised not to approach quacks if their children fall ill and go to only certified doctors, and consume only pure water and healthy food, said DM Sheelendra Singh.
Child Deaths in Rajasthan
A five-year-old boy died in Sikar district of Rajasthan after consuming an alleged cough syrup given under the state's free medicine scheme, while a three-year-old in Bharatpur fell ill after taking the same brand of cough syrup, according to India Today. Doctors who themselves consumed the same syrup also felt uneasiness, prompting the state government to suspend its supply and order an investigation.
A 5-year-old boy Nityans was given the cough syrup at around 11.30 pm on Sunday night in Sikar's Khori Brahmanan village. According to family members, he was normal until about 3.30 am, when he began hiccupping. His mother gave him water, but he did not wake up the following morning.
Also Read | Dry Cough During Monsoon? Try This Natural Syrup Made from Nagveli Leaves.
He was taken to SK Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Hospital superintendent Dr KK Agrawal said the exact cause of death will be clear after the post-mortem report.
A similar case was reported in Bharatpur's Kalsada village on September 28, when three-year-old Gagan's condition deteriorated after he consumed the syrup, identified as Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide Syrup IP 13.5 mg/5 ml, from a government community health centre. The child fainted and his heartbeat slowed, after which he was shifted to JK Lone Hospital in Jaipur and placed on a ventilator. His treatment is ongoing.