Karnataka Government Orders Immediate Halt and Recall of Toxic Cough Syrup Batches After Child Deaths in MP and Rajasthan
Bengaluru: The Government of Karnataka’s Food Safety and Drugs Administration (FSDA) has issued an urgent public health advisory against the use and sale of certain cough syrup brands linked to child fatalities in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The advisory, issued on October 4, 2025, follows alerts by the Director General of Health Science (DGHS) and similar warnings from Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh drug regulators.
Investigations revealed that the deaths were caused by consumption of Coldrif Syrup (Batch No. SR-13), manufactured by M/s Sreesan Pharma, Kanchipuram, and Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide Syrup (IP) produced by M/s Kaysons Pharma, Jaipur. Both products, manufactured in May 2025 with expiry dates in April 2027, are now under national scrutiny.
Key Directive from Karnataka FSDA Commissioner:
The Karnataka FSDA Commissioner has directed all District Health Authorities, medical institutions, government hospitals, PHCs, CHCs, and licensed retailers/distributors to immediately halt the purchase, sale, or prescription of these identified cough syrup batches.
Authorities have also been instructed to recall any existing stock and report to the Assistant Drugs Controller’s Office for further necessary action.
This move comes as part of a coordinated nationwide crackdown on toxic cough syrups after multiple states reported child deaths due to adulterated formulations. The Karnataka government has urged all healthcare professionals and retailers to strictly comply with the recall order to safeguard child health and public safety.
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