A Toxic Failure: Another Cough Syrup Scandal Shakes India's Trust

The health ministry has confirmed that samples of "Coldrif" cough syrup, made by Sresan Pharma in Tamil Nadu, contained dangerously high levels of diethylene glycol (DEG) a toxic industrial solvent that can be fatal even in small amounts.

This is not an isolated incident. It follows a global scandal where Indianmade cough syrups were linked to the deaths of over 70 children in The Gambia in 2022. Each tragedy erodes public trust and tarnishes the reputation of India's pharmaceutical industry on the world stage.

While states like Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have banned the product, the reaction feels like a bandaid on a deep, festering wound. The fact that such a basic failure in quality control can repeatedly occur points to a systemic regulatory failure.

For the grieving families, apologies and bans are too little, too late. India's "pharmacy of the world" ambition cannot be built on the graves of children. The government must enforce the strictest possible quality controls and ensure that those responsible for these deadly oversights are held fully accountable.