NAGPUR/BHOPAL: The toxic cough syrup Coldrif, prescribed to children in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, has claimed two more lives, raising the death toll to 17 in just 43 days. Two toddlers, Jayashu Yaduvanshi and Vedansh Pawar, both aged two and suffering from kidney failure, died during treatment in Nagpur, according to Sarfaraz Ahmed and Amarjeet Singh’s reports.
The children succumbed to severe brain damage caused by diethylene glycol (DEG). Dr. Ashish Lothe from GMCH explained that DEG binds to brain tissues, making it nearly impossible to filter out. “The permissible limit of DEG is 0.1%, but the syrup contained 48.6%, nearly 500% above the safe threshold,” he said. Health officials in Nagpur confirmed that 11 other children are still in critical condition.
In response to the crisis, a door-to-door survey has been launched to track down bottles of Coldrif that were sold before the ban was enforced, said Parasia SDM Shubham Yadav.
