MP cough syrup tragedy: Four-year-old dies after months in coma at AIIMS Nagpur

Betul: A four-year-old boy from Madhya Pradesh has died after spending more than four months in a coma at AIIMS Nagpur. The child had reportedly fallen seriously ill after consuming Coldrif cough syrup in Chhindwara district.

Harsh, a resident of Tikabarri village in Betul district near the Chhindwara border, was admitted to the intensive care unit at AIIMS Nagpur. Despite prolonged treatment, he passed away on Sunday night.

Betul chief medical and health officer Dr Manoj Hurmade confirmed the death. He said a post-mortem examination was carried out in Nagpur on Monday and the body was later handed over to the family. The exact cause of death will be confirmed after the post-mortem report is received.

Harsh’s uncle, Shyam Yadav, said the child was cremated on Monday evening. He added that Harsh had been under treatment in Parasia town of Chhindwara district and his health worsened after taking the prescribed cough syrup.

The case is linked to a larger tragedy that came to light in October 2025, when several children in Parasia fell ill after consuming Coldrif cough syrup. Many of them complained of vomiting, fever and difficulty in passing urine. Investigations later found that the syrup contained diethylene glycol, a toxic substance known to cause kidney failure.

Nearly two dozen children from Chhindwara and Betul districts died in the incident. The Drug Controller General of India launched a probe, and authorities later arrested the pharmaceutical company owner and a government doctor who had recommended the syrup.

In early October, the Madhya Pradesh government banned the sale of the cough syrup after lab tests confirmed the presence of a dangerous chemical. A government drug testing laboratory in Chennai declared the sample as not meeting quality standards.

According to a report issued on October 2 by the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Drug Control, the Coldrif syrup sample, manufactured in May 2025 by Sresan Pharmaceuticals in Kancheepuram, was found to contain 48.6 percent diethylene glycol. The report stated that the substance was harmful and could make the medicine unsafe for consumption.

(with inputs from agencies)