Bhopal, Oct 4 : The Madhya Pradesh government has imposed a statewide ban on the sale and distribution of 'Coldrif' cough syrup following Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's directive.

The decision comes in the wake of the deaths of nine children and subsequent alarming laboratory findings that revealed the presence of diethylene glycol, a toxic industrial solvent, in the syrup.

Tests confirmed that the syrup contained 48.6 per cent weight-by-volume of the chemical, which is known to cause acute kidney failure and has been linked to multiple child deaths in Chhindwara district.

The Chief Minister on his X handle wrote on Saturday, "The deaths of children in Chhindwara due to Coldrif syrup are extremely tragic. The sale of this syrup has been banned in the state. The sale of other products manufactured by the concerned company is also banned. The syrup manufacturing factory is located in Kanchipuram. The state government has urged the Tamil Nadu government to investigate the matter. The investigation report was received this morning. Strict action has been taken based on the report."

"Following the tragic deaths of the children, action was underway at the local level. A team has also been formed to investigate this matter at the state level. The culprits will not be spared at any cost," he said.

The official order issued by the Drug Control Department has instructed all district drug inspectors to immediately halt the sale of Coldrif syrup and ensure that no batch remains available for public consumption.

Any stock found must be frozen with strict instructions not to dispose of it. Inspectors have been directed to collect samples by hand and send them to designated drug testing laboratories for urgent analysis, it said.

The order also mandates that other batches of the syrup, if found in any jurisdiction, be similarly frozen and tested under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

In a broader move to safeguard public health, the government has also suspended the sale and distribution of all pharmaceutical products manufactured by Srisan Pharmaceuticals, the company behind Coldrif Syrup.

Located in Sunguvachatram, Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu, the firm is now under scrutiny, and legal samples of its products are being collected for further testing.

Authorities have been instructed to maintain strict surveillance on the movement of Coldrif Syrup and ensure full compliance with the ban. This action follows the tragic deaths of nine children in Chhindwara, who reportedly consumed contaminated cough syrup and later suffered kidney failure. The incident triggered widespread concern and prompted a high-level investigation involving national health agencies.

Health officials have urged parents and caregivers to avoid administering Coldrif Syrup and to report any adverse reactions in children to the nearest health facility.

/IANS