Overview

• Six children in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara died between September 4 and 26 from acute kidney failure after receiving cough medicines, according to district officials.
• Rajasthan has reported two child deaths linked in reports to a dextromethorphan syrup distributed under the state’s free medicine scheme, with additional illnesses in Sikar, Bharatpur, Jhunjhunu and Banswara.
• Distribution has been halted pending tests: Chhindwara restricted Coldrif and Nextro-DS locally, and Rajasthan banned and recalled 22 batches statewide while suspending supplies from Kaysons Pharma.
• The National Centre for Disease Control and ICMR teams have collected drug, water, entomological and human samples, which are now with state and national laboratories in Pune for analysis.
• Chemical contamination remains under investigation, including diethylene glycol as a hypothesis, but Madhya Pradesh’s deputy chief minister says preliminary checks have not confirmed tainted syrup.