The deaths of 14 children in Madhya Pradesh linked to the toxic cough syrup Coldrif have once again exposed a disturbing pattern in India's pharmaceutical safety regime. It is not the first time that a contaminated medicine has slipped through the cracks, and unless urgent corrective steps are taken, it won't be the last. The tragedy must serve as a wake-up call for every state and Union Territory, including Jammu and Kashmir, to act before such poison reaches our shelves.

Laboratory tests have found that Coldrif, manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceuticals in Tamil Nadu, contained 48.6% diethylene glycol (DEG), nearly 480 times the permissible limit. DEG is not a harmless impurity; it is an industrial solvent used in brake fluid and antifreeze. Even tiny doses can cause irreversible kidney failure and death, especially in children. It is horrifying that such a product made its way into pharmacies and homes, killing infants who were simply given medicine for cough and cold.

The Union Health Ministry has now issued a nationwide advisory warning against the use of cough syrups for children below two years and discouraging their use for those under five. Multiple states, including Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Kerala, and Telangana, have banned the sale of Coldrif and ordered inspections of pharmaceutical distributors. However, Jammu and Kashmir cannot afford to wait for central directives. The UT must act now to ensure that no toxic syrup finds its way into local markets, clinics, or hospitals.

The J&K Drug Control Department should immediately launch an audit of all pediatric syrups currently available in the Union Territory, verifying their source, batch numbers, and test certifications. In addition, the government should make it compulsory for all chemists to display a public notice about the banned product and maintain a record of returns.

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