After the death of several children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan due to the use of cough syrup, Jharkhand has also banned three syrups — Coldrif, Respifresh, and Relife. Now, the purchase or sale of these three cough syrups will not be allowed anywhere in the state. The State Drug Control Directorate issued two official orders on Monday regarding this matter.
Letters Sent to All Hospitals and Medical Associations
The Directorate has sent letters to all civil surgeons, medical colleges, central hospitals, private hospitals, doctors, retail and wholesale drug sellers, as well as to the Drug and Chemist Association and the Indian Medical Association. The letter clearly states that these three cough syrups have been banned and requests everyone not to buy or sell them. It also advises doctors not to prescribe these medicines to patients for public safety.
Strict Monitoring and Sampling Instructions
Another order has been issued to all drug inspectors, informing them about the ban and instructing them to closely monitor all medical shops. Inspectors have been asked to run inspection drives, collect samples of these cough syrups, and send them for testing. The Directorate mentioned that in tests conducted by the Madhya Pradesh State Drug Laboratory, a high amount of Diethylene Glycol was found in these syrups, which is extremely harmful and can cause death. Earlier, after the death of some children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the Directorate had already alerted all drug inspectors through WhatsApp messages. At that time, the sale and purchase of Coldrif syrup were temporarily stopped, and now a formal order has been issued.
Details of the Banned Companies and Batches
Coldrif: Srisun Pharmaceutical, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu (Batch No. SR-13)
Respifresh: Rednex Pharmaceutical, Ahmedabad, Gujarat (Batch No. RO1GL2523)
Relife: Shape Pharma Pvt. Ltd., Rajkot, Gujarat (Batch No. LSL25160)
Health Minister Orders Strict Action
Health Minister Irfan Ansari said that all three syrups — Coldrif, Respifresh, and Relife — have been banned in Jharkhand and the ban will be implemented strictly. He said that after the deaths of 14 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the Jharkhand government has become very serious and alert about the issue. The minister directed the department to take strict action against anyone found involved in the sale or purchase of the banned syrups. He also instructed all district drug inspectors to collect samples of suspicious cough syrups from every medical store and pharmaceutical company in the state. These samples will be tested in laboratories to identify any harmful or low-quality medicines. Any banned syrups found will be immediately seized and destroyed. He further instructed all doctors and pharmacists to be very careful while prescribing medicines and to strictly follow all medical regulations.
