The tragic death of a five-year-old boy in Sikar and the critical illness of a three-year-old in Bharatpur have raised grave concerns about the safety of a cough syrup being distributed under the state’s free medicine scheme. In response, the state government has immediately suspended the supply of the syrup and ordered a full investigation into its manufacture and distribution.
The incident in Sikar took place in Khori Brahmanan village, where young Nityans was given the syrup late on Sunday night. According to his family, he seemed fine initially but began hiccupping around 3:30 am. Despite his mother’s efforts to comfort him with water, he failed to wake up the next morning. He was rushed to SK Hospital, but doctors declared him dead on arrival. Hospital superintendent Dr. KK Agrawal noted that the exact cause of death would be determined after the post-mortem, while the grieving father, who works in Jharkhand, rushed home after receiving the devastating news.
A similar case occurred in Bharatpur’s Kalsada village just a day earlier, when three-year-old Gagan’s health deteriorated rapidly after consuming the same syrup, identified as Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide Syrup IP 13.5 mg/5 ml. His condition became critical as he fainted and his heartbeat slowed, leading to his transfer to JK Lone Hospital in Jaipur, where he was placed on a ventilator. His treatment is still ongoing. Alarmingly, even Dr. Tarachand Yogi, the in-charge of the community health centre, reportedly fell ill after consuming the syrup himself, following complaints from the child’s family.
District health authorities have acted quickly by halting the distribution of the suspected batch across government hospitals. Bayana Block Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jogendra Gurjar stated that while the cause has not been confirmed, suspicions strongly point to one particular batch of the syrup. He explained that, as a precautionary step, the supply and distribution of this batch have been stopped immediately across all government health facilities.
The state government has now launched an official inquiry to trace the source of the syrup, review its manufacturing process, and assess lapses in quality control. This tragic development has not only shaken public confidence in the free medicine scheme but has also placed urgent focus on ensuring strict monitoring of drugs supplied through government healthcare systems to prevent such incidents in the future.
