Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and Chhindwara MLA Kamal Nath on Friday alleged that “brake oil solvent,” a highly toxic substance, was mixed in the adulterated cough syrup suspected to have caused kidney failure and the subsequent deaths of nine children in the district since 7 September.
“Emerging facts suggest that the lives of children are being openly put at risk in Chhindwara and across Madhya Pradesh. It is shocking to learn that brake oil solvent, a highly poisonous substance, was mixed in the cough syrup,” Kamal Nath alleged.
“Such blatant adulteration in medicines for children went unchecked for a long time, indicating a complete failure of law and order and the administrative machinery in the state,” Nath further stated in a post on X.
Seven children had already died in September, while two more undergoing treatment in nearby Nagpur succumbed on Thursday night, taking the death toll to nine in 26 days.
One of the children who died on Thursday was identified as Sandhya Bhosom (7) of Chhindwara.
The other children who succumbed to kidney failure were identified as Adnan (6), Vidhi (6), Chanchlesh (8), Usaid (9), Shivam (9), Rishika (10), Hetansh (11), and Vikas Yaduvanshi.
Meanwhile, 13 more children—eight in Chhindwara and five in Nagpur—continue to undergo treatment, with three of them on dialysis in Nagpur, according to officials.
The deaths have been reported mainly from Tamia and adjoining Koylanchal areas, about 55 km from the district headquarters.
According to Parasia Sub-Divisional Magistrate Saurabh Kumar Yadav, samples of 4,658 children who had undergone treatment in the past month were collected, of which 4,411 were found normal. Samples of children being discharged are also being tested, and further reports are awaited.
The health department has immediately banned the sale of combination syrups and alerted all medical stores and pharmacists, Yadav said.
Chhindwara Collector Harendra Narayan confirmed that two suspicious syrups had been banned and their samples, along with syrups collected from the victims’ homes, had been sent for testing.
“We will be able to say something conclusive only after the test reports come in,” he stated.
Following the initial deaths, the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry had also sent a team from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to take stock of the situation and collect samples for detailed investigation.
The seven deaths reported earlier had occurred between 7 September and 27 September, all due to acute kidney infections.
According to Chhindwara District Hospital paediatrician Dr Deepak Patel, teams from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the state health department have already collected blood samples from other affected children. These have been sent to the Virology Institute in Pune for testing.
A team from the NCDC has also been deployed to collect samples and investigate the cause of the deaths.
District administration authorities have directed government doctors to provide the best possible medical care to infected children.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav has also instructed officials to ensure prompt and effective treatment for the ailing children.
The initial symptoms in affected children were cough and cold. Parents are believed to have administered the suspected cough syrups to treat these symptoms, which allegedly led to severe kidney infections and deaths. Eventually, most of the children developed high fever and difficulty in urinating.
Acting Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Naresh Gunnade said the first suspected case of infection was reported on 24 August, followed by the first death on 7 September.