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| Cough Syrup Tragedy | | | The tragic deaths of 12 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan following complications after use of cough syrups prompted the Union Health Ministry to issue an advisory against prescribing cold and cough medications to children aged below 2.
This incident has inevitably brought back haunting memories of the Udhampur tragedy in 2020, when several children lost their lives after consuming a locally manufactured cough syrup contaminated with toxic chemicals. That episode shook the conscience of the nation and raised serious questions about pharmaceutical oversight, quality control, and accountability. It was expected that the lessons learned from Udhampur would lead to stringent preventive measures. Sadly, five years later, history appears to be repeating itself.
Following the recent deaths, the Directorate of Health Services in Jammu and Kashmir has directed all medical practitioners to strictly adhere to the latest central guidelines. The advisory clearly emphasizes that cough and cold syrups should not be given to children under two years of age due to the risks of respiratory depression, toxicity, and allergic reactions. For infants, the focus must remain on safer alternatives — such as hydration, humidified air, and saline nasal drops — rather than chemical suppressants that the fragile bodies of young children cannot safely metabolize.
However, the issue extends beyond the prescribing doctors. The pharmaceutical industry must also be held accountable for maintaining the highest standards of safety, particularly in paediatric formulations. Regular inspections, testing, and stringent compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) must become non-negotiable. Moreover, there is an urgent need for stronger pharmacovigilance mechanisms that can swiftly identify and remove potentially harmful products from the market.
Parents, too, play a vital role in preventing such tragedies. Self-medication — often driven by misinformation or convenience — remains alarmingly common in India. Many households keep over-the-counter cough syrups within easy reach, unaware of the grave risks they pose to infants. Awareness campaigns must therefore target caregivers, educating them on the dangers of administering any medication without medical supervision, especially to newborns and toddlers.
Ultimately, the loss of innocent lives to preventable causes is not merely a medical failure — it is a societal one. Protecting children from unsafe medicines requires a coordinated effort between regulators, doctors, pharmaceutical companies, and parents. The government’s advisory is a step in the right direction, but it must be backed by vigilant enforcement, transparent investigation, and unwavering public awareness. |
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