The recent tragedy surrounding Coldrif cough syrup has once again drawn national attention to the dangers posed by spurious and substandard medicines in India. Following the deaths of at least 14 children in Madhya Pradesh, allegedly linked to the consumption of the syrup manufactured by Shreesan Pharmaceutical, multiple states-including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Arunachal Pradesh-have moved swiftly to ban its sale and use. The Uttar Pradesh government, for instance, not only prohibited the medicine but also ordered investigations, with the Food Safety and Drug Administration conducting raids on medical stores. Similarly, Punjab had earlier banned Coldrif after the Madhya Pradesh Drugs Testing Laboratory declared it“not of standard quality.” States such as Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand had already imposed restrictions.

The deaths in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara and Betul districts have raised serious concerns about the effectiveness of India's drug safety mechanisms. This crisis casts a long shadow over Jammu & Kashmir, where weaknesses in pharmaceutical oversight and public health practices could amplify the risks posed by toxic medicines like Coldrif.

While no incidents linked to Coldrif syrup have yet been reported in J&K, past experiences indicate a high potential threat. In 2020, about 12 children in the Ramnagar area of Udhampur district died after consuming a cough syrup called Coldbest-PC. Medical investigations confirmed that the syrup was contaminated with diethylene glycol (DEG), a toxic substance that can cause acute kidney failure and, in severe cases, damage multiple organs, including the brain and liver. This tragic episode serves as a stark reminder that J&K is not immune to the circulation of substandard or counterfeit medicines.

Several factors make Jammu & Kashmir particularly vulnerable. First, regulatory oversight is limited, with inadequate monitoring and enforcement of pharmaceutical standards creating opportunities for unsafe products to reach consumers. Second, the prevalence of unregulated markets-including unregistered medical stores and online platforms-amplifies exposure to counterfeit and potentially lethal drugs. Third, public awareness remains low, leaving patients and healthcare providers ill-equipped to identify substandard medicines promptly. In such an environment, even a single contaminated batch of a common medicine can have devastating consequences.

The Coldrif incident, juxtaposed with the previous Coldbest-PC tragedy, underscores the urgent need for authorities to act decisively. Despite clear warnings and extensive media coverage, including in this newspaper, the J&K Health Department has yet to issue public advisories or take proactive measures against the possible sale of Coldrif or similar toxic medicines in local markets. This inertia is deeply concerning. Children are among the most vulnerable to chemical toxicity, and any delay in regulatory intervention heightens the risk of a repeat tragedy.

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