An antibiotic syrup for children is currently under the scanner in Madhya Pradesh after alleged presence of “black worm-like particles” inside a bottle given to a child at a government hospital in Gwalior, officials said on Thursday. This came days after death toll of children due to an adulterated cough syrup continues to rise in Chhindwara and other districts of the State.
Gwalior District Collector Ruchika Chouhan told The Hindu that samples of the batch of Azithromycin oral suspension have been sent to Bhopal for testing and the use of the batch has been prohibited until the reports arrive.
The alleged contamination was reported on October 12 at the District Hospital in Gwalior by the mother of a child, who was given the medicine from the government dispensary.
As per a letter from the Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) sent to higher authorities in Bhopal, the woman arrived “with an open bottle of the medicine with a complaint of some black worm-like particles in the syrup”.
A doctor at the hospital confirmed the presence of “one or two black particles but nothing like worms” were being visible in the bottle, as per the letter.
The medicine is manufactured by Zenith Drugs Ltd., based in Indore.
Samples sent for testing
Ms. Chouhan said based on information from the hospital, the local drug control authorities were alerted and the entire stock of 306 bottles at the hospital was seized and samples were sent for testing.
“A team of pharmaceutical experts also came from Bhopal today [Thursday] and checked several bottles but nothing was found in any other bottle. As a precautionary measure, we have prohibited the use of the medicine until the reports arrive,” she said, adding that no complaint of any child falling ill due to the medicine has been received.
Earlier on Wednesday, another child from Chhindwara district died during treatment in Maharashtra’s Nagpur, taking the toll linked to the consumption of ‘Coldrif’ cough syrup and subsequent kidney failure in the State to 25.
Published – October 16, 2025 11:51 pm IST
