NEW DELHI: A senior doctor in Rajasthan who drank a cough syrup to reassure anxious parents later collapsed unconscious, as the medicine has been linked to the deaths of at least two children and several others falling ill in the state. Dr Tarachand Yogi, in charge of the Bayana community health centre, consumed a dose of the syrup on 24 September in front of worried families. Eight hours later, he was found unconscious in his car, raising alarm over the safety of the widely distributed medicine. The Rajasthan government has since banned 22 batches of the syrup, recalled existing stock and launched an inquiry.Over 1.33 lakh bottles of the syrup were distributed in the state since July, officials said, with 8,200 still in storage at Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh Hospital, news agency PTI reported. Concerns mounted after a five-year-old boy from Sikar district died on Monday, hours after being given the syrup prescribed at a community health centre. His death followed an earlier case on 22 September in Bharatpur, where two-year-old Samrat Jatav died after consuming the same medicine. “Three of my grandchildren took the syrup. Two eventually woke up after vomiting, but Samrat never regained consciousness. We only realised later that the medicine was the cause,” the child’s grandmother Nehni Jatav told reporters. Doctors confirmed that eight other children between the ages of one and five fell ill in Banswara district last week after consuming the syrup. Drug Controller Ajay Phatak said inspectors had collected samples from Sikar, Jhunjhunu and Bharatpur. “The syrup should not be administered to children below five years of age. Test results are expected within three days,” he told reporters. Authorities said the syrup was supplied by Kayson Pharma, whose deliveries have now been halted. Doctors across Rajasthan have been instructed to stop prescribing the drug immediately.6 children dead in MPSix children in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district have died from kidney-related complications between September 4 and September 26, prompting authorities to investigate the cause. The children initially exhibited common symptoms such as colds, coughs, and fever before their conditions worsened.Health officials reported that cases emerged from the Parasia area starting August 22. Three of the children had been admitted to a private hospital in Chhindwara and later transferred to Nagpur, where they died between September 4 and 7. The remaining three deaths occurred later, bringing the total to six.In response, authorities established a dedicated 10-bed ward at Parasia government hospital. Samples from patients, water, and other sources were collected by teams from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the state Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP) for laboratory testing, though most results are still pending. Preliminary human sample reports have not revealed any serious issues.Similar cases have also been reported in Betul, Seoni, and Pandhurna districts. Authorities have temporarily banned certain medicines, including cough syrups found in the homes of the deceased children, until lab results are available. Five affected children are currently receiving treatment at Government Medical College, Nagpur.
