New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry on Friday issued a health advisory stating that children under the age of two should not be given cough syrups (medications for cough and cold). The advisory was released following reports of 11 child deaths linked to cough syrups in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The ministry also clarified that tests conducted on cough syrup samples connected to the deaths in both states did not detect any toxic chemical that could damage the kidneys.
In the advisory issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), it was further emphasized that, in general, cough syrups should not be given to children under five years of age. For older children, if cough syrup is prescribed, it must be administered with great caution.
This means that children given the medicine must be kept under strict monitoring, administered only the proper dosage, given the medicine for the shortest possible duration, and not prescribed cough syrup in combination with multiple other drugs. The advisory was issued by Dr. Sunita Sharma of the DGHS.
All healthcare centers and clinics have been instructed to procure medicines only from reputable companies and ensure pharmaceutical-grade quality. The advisory is applicable to all government medical stores, primary health centers, community health centers, district hospitals, and medical institutions.
The Health Ministry has issued a clarification on reports linking the deaths of 9 children in Madhya Pradesh and 2 children in Rajasthan to cough syrups. The ministry stated that the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the National Institute of Virology (NIV), the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), and other agencies had collected samples of cough syrups, blood, and other materials for investigation.
The ministry further informed that the Madhya Pradesh State Food and Drug Administration also tested three samples, and no presence of diethylene glycol or ethylene glycol was found. Meanwhile, in tests conducted by NIV Pune, leptospirosis infection was confirmed in one case.
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