BHUBANESWAR: The directorate of Drugs Control, Odisha on Friday initiated steps to freeze the stock of Coldrif cough syrup in the state following the tragic death of children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan after its alleged consumption.
Drug controller Mamina Patnaik said the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has already ordered a probe into the matter and an immediate inspection at the manufacturing unit of the implicated syrup.
“As per the instruction, we have directed the drugs inspectors to freeze the stock of a particular batch of Coldrif cough syrup and collect samples for tests. Sampling has been done. The stock will remain frozen till further instruction and arrival of the lab test reports. Besides, other batches of the cough syrup have also been recalled,” she said. Odisha was one of the states that had recently received the cough syrup for retailing. As per initial reports, one consignment of 130 bottles of the cough syrup was received by a distributor located in a western Odisha district. But not a single bottle has been dispatched to retail outlets and the entire stock has been frozen.
The probe was ordered following initial indications that suggested the presence of diethylene glycol in the syrup. This substance is a highly toxic industrial chemical known to cause acute kidney damage and failure.