Over 700 cough syrup manufacturers subjected to intense audit: Govt to RS

The Centre said that more than 700 cough syrup manufacturers have been subjected to intense audit and increased market surveillance sampling of syrup formulations was conducted bycentraland state drugs regulators in the wake of children deaths allegedly due to consumption of contaminated cough syrups.

- TDG NETWORK

The Centre informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that upon receipt of reports of a cluster of child deaths from Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, a central team of experts visited Chhindwara and Nagpur and undertook a detailed investigation of the reported cases and deaths in coordination with the Madhya Pradesh state authorities, Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel said in a written reply.

The team comprised an epidemiologist, a microbiologist, an entomologist, and drug inspectors from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), National Institute of Virology (NIV), and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).

A total of 19 drug samples, reportedly consumed by the affected children, were collected from the treating private practitioners and nearby retail stores for testing, Patel said.