Toxic cough syrup: 4-year-old boy from MP dies months after being in coma

A four-year-old boy from Madhya Pradesh, who had been in a coma for over four months, died at AIIMS Nagpur on Sunday night after allegedly consuming Coldrif cough syrup, officials confirmed on Monday.

Harsh, from Tikabarri village in Betul district near Chhindwara, fell critically ill last year after taking the syrup, which was later found to contain diethylene glycol, a highly poisonous compound that can cause kidney failure. The boy had been receiving intensive care treatment at AIIMS Nagpur since his condition deteriorated.

Betul’s chief medical and health officer, Dr. Manoj Hurmade, confirmed the child’s death and said a post-mortem was conducted in Nagpur, after which the body was handed over to the family. Harsh’s uncle, Shyam Yadav, said the boy’s last rites were performed on Monday evening.

Harsh had initially been treated under Dr. S.S. Thakur in Parasia, Chhindwara, but his health worsened after consuming the prescribed syrup. In October last year, at least 24 children in Chhindwara and Betul districts fell seriously ill after consuming Coldrif, presenting with vomiting, fever, and kidney-related complications.

Investigations revealed the syrup contained 48.8 per cent diethylene glycol, according to testing by a government Drug Testing Laboratory in Chennai. The Tamil Nadu Directorate of Drug Control declared the sample “Not of Standard Quality” and adulterated, warning it could be injurious to health.

Following the deaths, the Madhya Pradesh government banned the sale of Coldrif, and authorities arrested the manufacturer, Sresan Pharmaceuticals, Kancheepuram, along with a government doctor who had recommended the syrup.

The post-mortem report will determine the exact cause of Harsh’s death, though it is widely linked to the toxic cough syrup that claimed the lives of several children across the region.

With PTI inputs