In a much-needed clarification, the Rajasthan Health Department has confirmed that the tragic deaths of two children in Bharatpur and Sikar districts were not caused by the cough syrup distributed under the state's free medicine scheme.
In a statement released, Public Health Director Ravi Prakash Sharma revealed that investigations found that in both cases, the children had taken the syrup at home without a doctor's advice. He clarified that Dextromethorphan (DXM) drug is not prescribed to children as per protocol.
Health Minister Gajendra Singh had earlier ordered a probe into the matter after reports of poor-quality cough syrup surfaced.
Following the order, the Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation Limited (RMSCL) halted the supply and use of the drug, formed a three-member inquiry committee that includes its executive directors for quality control and logistics, along with the nodal officer of the chief minister’s free medicine scheme and sent some samples for testing at the state drug laboratory.
RMSCL has also ordered a ban on 19 other batches of the same drug supplied by the concerned manufacturer. Every drug batch supplied is first tested in approved laboratories, and only medicines meeting prescribed standards are released for hospital use. If any batch fails, it is barred from distribution. In cases where complaints are received, drugs are retested at the State Drug Testing Laboratory to ensure public safety.
Read also: Health crisis in a bottle: Rajasthan govt bans cough syrup batch after patients fall ill in Bharatpur, Sikar
However, in another case from Sikar, a child was wrongly prescribed a cough syrup containing the drug DXM. Subsequently, the Health Department initiated suspension proceedings against the doctor and pharmacist concerned for violating protocol.
The department has also issued an advisory directing doctors to strictly follow prescription protocols and ensure medicines are dispensed only against prescriptions. It also urged the public not to take medicines without medical advice.
Earlier reports by Medical Dialogues highlighted that similar incidents also surfaced in Srimadhopur and Bharatpur. In Bharatpur, even a doctor who examined the children later experienced health complications after consuming the medicine.
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