Firm Behind Cough Syrup Linked To Child Deaths Under Scanner In Rajasthan

The company whose cough syrup has been linked to three deaths and a doctor losing consciousness in Rajasthan is now under the state government's scanner. The administration has ordered a thorough investigation into all medicines manufactured by Kayson Pharma, which supplies the generic cough syrup to Rajasthan. The syrup was being distributed under the state's free medicine scheme.

The first case was reported on Monday from Sikar, where a 5-year-old child died. Then, two families from Bharatpur district came forward, claiming their children also died in September after consuming the cough syrup, which contained the compound dextromethorphan hydrobromide and was manufactured by Kayson Pharma.

The government has now suspended the distribution of all Kayson Pharma medicines and ordered a thorough investigation.

However, the government has refused to confirm that the deaths in Bharatpur were caused by the cough syrup, citing that the medicine was not mentioned on the prescription.

But when NDTV's team visited the villages of these children, locals confirmed that the syrup - dextromethorphan hydrobromide - was indeed being distributed at government dispensaries.

He Went To Sleep, Never To Wake Up Again

After taking the cough syrup, 5-year-old Nitish woke up in the night, hiccupped once, drank some water and went back to sleep, never to wake up again.

When his parents realised something was amiss, they rushed him to a hospital in Sikar, only to be told that their child had died.

Read | Cough Syrup Kills 2 Children In Rajasthan; Doctor Takes It To Prove It's Safe And Faints

In Bharatpur, two children, Teerthraj and Samrat Jatav, died after drinking the syrup. Their parents said they got the syrup from a government health centre - which proved to be fatal for their 2-year-olds.

As part of the government's investigation, the medical department has stated that the health officer in the Sikar case will be suspended.

However, in the cases of deaths in Bharatpur, it said the medicine was not mentioned on the children's prescriptions.

Director of Public Health Dr Ravi Prakash Sharma emphasised that doctors had not prescribed dextromethorphan syrup in these cases. As per protocol, it is not recommended for children, he said.

Samrat's mother Jyoti, however, insisted that she did not give him the syrup on her own, but it was instead prescribed by the Chief Health Officer (CHO) working at the village sub-health center. She said that the cough syrup was administered to her three children after a consultation with the CHO on September 18.

The health of all three deteriorated soon after. Two of them - Virat and Sakshi - vomited and survived. But Samrat lost consciousness and died in a hospital on September 22.

When news of the syrup appeared in the media, she realised that it was the syrup that had claimed her son's life, she alleged.

Kayson Pharma Was "Blacklisted" In Past

Now, the government has banned all medicines supplied by Kayson Pharma under the free medicine scheme. But this is not the first time the company has come under scrutiny.

Back in 2023, one of its medicines had been rejected for failing to meet quality standards. So, how the firm got the tender again is also a matter of probe.

BJP's Rajendra Rathore, meanwhile, flagged that the drug was "blacklisted" multiple times in the past and asked his party's government for a "comprehensive campaign" against counterfeit medicines in the state and also demanded strict action against the relevant pharma company and the culprits.

"In the state, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 has been enacted regarding counterfeit medicines. According to this, if even one of the 3-4 chemicals mentioned in any medicine is found absent upon testing, that medicine will be considered counterfeit. The most serious matter is that the Food Safety Drug Controller Department has even changed the definition of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, to protect the guilty companies. Now, according to the new rules, if even one salt in any medicine is zero, it will not be considered counterfeit. This is nothing but directly playing with the lives of the general public," the former health minister of Rajasthan claimed in a post on X.

The health department has issued an advisory to all physicians to adhere to prescribing protocols strictly, ensure that prescription-only medicines are dispensed responsibly, and prevent patients from consuming drugs without a medical consultation.