No cough syrup should be used unless prescribed by a doctor
Health and education have been the most neglected sectors in the country for a long time. This disregard can be traced back to the historical, socio-economic and political factors, with the colonial rule and then the post-independence regime considering the two sectors as the privilege of the elite sections of society, rather than the masses. Thus, poor investment in the above sectors, compounded by the growing poverty, increasing population and bureaucratic inefficiency, resulted in harming countless innocent people in the country, for no fault of theirs.
Last week witnessed tragic incidents wherein the administration of cough syrup to children suffering from colds and coughs claimed the lives of around a dozen kids across Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The initial observations revealed that these deaths had occurred due to the kidney injury cases, which were linked to Coldrif, a cough syrup. However, soon mystery shrouded the deaths as one group of officials said they found no trace of toxic contaminants in medicine samples that were analysed. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that laboratory tests detected neither diethylene glycol (DEG) nor ethylene glycol (EG) – the industrial chemicals known to cause acute kidney injury – in cough syrup samples collected. Strangely, the earlier biopsy reports had shown that the kidney tissue analysis suggested DEG contamination in cough syrup given to the children.
The Union Ministry lost no time in issuing an advisory to the states and Union Territories stating that cough and cold medications should not be prescribed or dispensed to children below two years. The Tamil Nadu government promptly banned the sale of Coldrif and ordered its removal from the market. The Madhya Pradesh government followed this decision. The Rajasthan government, on the other hand, suspended the state drug controller and halted the distribution of medicines manufactured by a Jaipur-based company called Kaysons Pharma. One should not be surprised if more states and Union Territories now come out with similar decisions.
As expected, many parents are concerned as to whether the familiar cough syrups are safe for their children. It is, however, baffling to see that even as the Union Ministry has cautioned against prescribing such medications for children under two, the paediatricians maintain that these medications should not be given to children under six either. And that’s because a common ingredient in cough syrups – Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide – can cause side effects in children. Besides, the cough syrups do not work effectively enough in children. Furthermore, as many of the cough syrups are easily available over-the-counter, parents may not be aware of the strict dosing that they require. In fact, no cough syrup should be used unless prescribed by the doctor, and that too within the days mentioned in the prescription.
Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath, who has been the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, blamed the mixing of brake oil solvent – a highly poisonous substance – in cough syrups for the deaths of these innocent children. Even though this statement could have political connotations, the authorities need to investigate such a possibility. Those responsible for engaging in such blatant adulteration need to be exposed and severely punished.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the ideal allopathic general doctor-patient ratio is 1:1000. In India, it stands at 1:1445 as per the 2018 data. The strained healthcare system is further handicapped with spurious drugs. The Union Ministry now needs to crack the whip, or else more innocents will lose their lives.