Subramanian said Tamil Nadu had independently confirmed the contamination and banned the drug’s production from 3 October, issuing a closure order to the manufacturer.
Published Oct 09, 2025 | 11:51 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 09, 2025 | 1:18 PM
File photo of Ma Subramanian. (subramanian.ma/Facebook)
Synopsis: Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian said toxic substances were found in Coldrif cough syrup, linked to the deaths of at least 20 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in September.
Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Thursday, 9 October, said toxic substances were found in Coldrif cough syrup, linked to the deaths of at least 20 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in September
He was speaking while inaugurating the work to install a new tensile-roof bus shelter at Ekkattuthangal in Saidapet constituency.
Following the incident, Tamil Nadu tested the product and confirmed high toxicity levels, immediately alerting the Union government, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Puducherry. However, both the Union and Madhya Pradesh governments initially denied contamination.
Subramanian said Tamil Nadu had independently confirmed the contamination and banned the drug’s production from 3 October, issuing a closure order to the manufacturer. A criminal notice was served to the company owner on 7 October, and he has since been arrested.
The local revenue officer has been directed to conduct further inquiry at the site, and permanent closure of the company is expected within two to three days. He added that senior drug inspectors who failed to properly monitor the company over the past two years have been suspended.
The new shelter, built at a cost of ₹1.68 crore, replaces the one constructed in 2006. The facility will include restrooms, a lactation room, and rain protection. A similar renovation is planned for the Race Course Road bus stop, while a new library worth ₹1.95 crore will also be established in Zone 13.
Speaking to reporters, the Minister said beautification works, stormwater drain improvements, and traffic regulation initiatives are underway across the Chennai Corporation limits.
An investigation into the manufacturing facility of Coldrif syrup found nearly 400 serious regulatory violations. Tamil Nadu’s Drugs Control Department inspected Sresan Pharmaceuticals’ facility in Kanchipuram on 1 October. The inspection identified 39 critical and 325 major non-compliances under the Revised Schedule M (Good Manufacturing Practices) and Schedule L1 (Good Laboratory Practices) of the Drugs Rules, 1945.
Officials reported unhygienic conditions, leaking equipment, and the use of non-pharma-grade raw materials, including propylene glycol contaminated with diethylene glycol (DEG).
Laboratory tests on a batch of Coldrif syrup manufactured at the facility (Batch No. SR-13) showed 48.6 percent w/v of diethylene glycol, nearly 500 times above the permissible limits of the toxic substance linked to acute kidney failure.
In response, the department has moved to freeze stocks, suspend production, and launch criminal proceedings against Sresan Pharmaceuticals.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
