Impact of the Coldrif Cough Syrup Ban Across States
The Coldrif cough syrup ban in Delhi and West Bengal comes after reports of child deaths in Madhya Pradesh, prompting nationwide concerns
An immediate government and immense political response to the deadly Coldrif cough syrup scenario has therefore exposed serious shortcomings in medicine regulation. Moreover, after child deaths in Madhya Pradesh reportedly caused by the toxic syrup, Delhi and Bengal banned its sale, while the Congress party consequently demanded a CBI probe and the state health minister’s resignation.https://cdsco.gov.in/
Bengal Chemists Halt Coldrif Cough Syrup Sales Amid Ban
On Saturday, the Bengal Chemists and Druggists Association (BCDA) asked all wholesale and retail sellers in Bengal to stop buying or selling Coldrif syrup immediately. BCDA Secretary Prithwi Basu indicated that this was just a precautionary measure, since the particular batch that led to the tragedy—the syrup had been withdrawn from the market almost immediately—hadn’t yet reached the state. “We have asked all the sellers to stop selling it as a precautionary measure,” Basu informed.
To enforce compliance, the BCDA will meet with chemistry retailers on October 11.The West Bengal State Drug Control Board also released new guidelines, stating that propylene glycol, glycerin, and sorbitol—ingredients used in cough syrups—must be purchased from approved suppliers and tested through certified laboratories. Meanwhile, the Delhi Government Imposes Immediate Ban.
Delhi Government Enforces Immediate Ban
A day after Bengal acted, the Delhi government banned the sale, purchase, and distribution of Coldrif cough syrup after finding it “not of standard quality.” Manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceutical in Tamil Nadu in May 2025, the syrup contained 46.28% Diethylene Glycol—a toxic chemical that causes kidney failure and is deadly.
Officials ordered the immediate halt of the sale of Coldrif syrup and warned the public not to take it. A laboratory report by the Delhi government confirmed its contamination, prompting a citywide recall of all Coldrif batches.
Congress Calls for Minister’s Resignation and Investigation
Probe and Minister’s Resignation
Congress president Jitu Patwari called the state government’s response negligent to a “catastrophe” that caused over 20 children’s deaths in the state, including in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, and demanded that authorities charge the drug controller, Health Principal Secretary, and state health minister, as well as launch a CBI investigation.
He also said that “over 150 kids have lost their lives in the last three months due to the same reasons,” positioning the deaths as “government-sponsored murders.” The Congress president said the government had looked the other way and hadn’t noticed a report from a Nagpur lab on September 19 that identified the reason for the deaths as contaminated medicine. He alleged, “Even after eight children died, officials conducted no post-mortems and held no departmental meetings.”. For their part, the Congress will go to every district with a statewide protest, and also take part in a protest and a one-day fast to seek accountability.
Drug Regulatory Investigation Reveals Benign Negligence
An investigation by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) into Sresan Pharma revealed gross negligence on behalf of the Tamil Nadu Food and Drugs Administration (TNFDA). Ever since we have witnessed TNFDA’s blatant disregard for making corrections or improvements to their flawed system, the firm’s operations continue without any oversight. The manufacturer lacked a Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certificate and did not register the product on the central ‘Sugam’ monitoring portal. The agency recommended canceling Sresan Pharma’s license, noting that TNFDA was absent from the joint inspection held on October 3.
Union Health Ministry Action
Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava chaired a meeting with states on quality control of drugs. The Union Health Ministry said stricter enforcement, better inter-agency cooperation, and accountable manufacturing practices will help avoid future tragedies.
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