9 children die in Chhindwara, No toxins in Cough syrup linked to deaths: Centre

In Madhya Pradesh, a report from Chhindwara district says that cases of kidney disease among children are steadily increasing. So far, nine children have died from this illness, while several others are in critical condition and admitted to major hospitals in Jabalpur and Nagpur. The affected children are between 1 and 5 years old, and the administration is fully alert. Investigations revealed that children were given Coldrif and Nextro-DS cough syrup for cold, cough, and fever, which contained a toxic chemical called Diethylene Glycol, leading to kidney failure. The health department is conducting tests and screenings of children in the area. Chhindwara Collector Sheelendra Singh immediately banned the sale of the two syrups across the district and issued an urgent advisory to doctors, pharmacies, and parents.| MP Deputy CM, Rajendra Shukla says, "Samples of approximately 12 types of medicines have been sent for testing. Currently, the results of three samples have been received. The reports have not found any substances that could suggest that these medicines caused the deaths. 

#WATCH | Narsinghpur, MP | Chhindwara cough syrup scare | MP Deputy CM, Rajendra Shukla says, "Samples of approximately 12 types of medicines have been sent for testing. Currently, the results of three samples have been received. The reports have not found any substances that… pic.twitter.com/k3QekC5fBV

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Meanwhile the union health ministry of Friday has said that Cough syrup samples linked to the deaths of children in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh did not contain toxins associated with kidney injuries. Scientists from the National Centre for Disease Control, the National Institute of Virology, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation and other agencies visited Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara and collected samples following reports children died after being fed the syrup.
Tests, though, showed none of the samples contained diethylene glycol or ethylene glycol. The samples were also tested by state officials to confirm the absence of the three contaminants. The centre, however, issued an advisory to limit use of cough syrup for children. Specifically, the Director General of Health Services has said cough and cold medicines should not be prescribed to children younger than two and are generally not advisable for those below five.