More than twenty children are dead. Again. The deaths caused by fake cough syrup contaminated with diethylene glycol or DEG, have shaken Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Yet the tragedy feels familiar. This is the sixth time in three decades that children in India have died from the same cause. The pattern is disturbingly predictable. Manufacturing units skip essential quality checks before pushing their products into the market. Drug inspectors detect DEG contamination but often take their cut and allow the syrups to be sold. Parents unaware and trusting, buy the syrup for their children. Within days the hospitals fill up, lives are lost, and the factory is sealed. Nothing changes.
Even the comfort of big brands offers little protection. The illusion of safety that comes with a familiar label is fragile. In this story, we look at how DEG poisoning keeps finding its way back into India’s pharmaceutical system and what you can do to protect your family from the next batch of dangerous cough syrups.
What is DEG?
Before understanding DEG, we need to understand PEG or polyethylene glycol. PEG is added to syrups to improve the solubility of ingredients so that they mix well and remain stable. During its manufacture, a byproduct called DEG or diethylene glycol is often produced. DEG has industrial uses, from brake fluid to paint formulations. It serves many purposes, but when consumed by humans, it turns deadly.
This deadly DEG was found in cough syrup mainly consumed by children, which has led to the tragedy in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
2025 DEG Poisoning Case
In Madhya Pradesh, twenty-five children died after consuming a branded cough syrup called Coldrif. The syrup had been prescribed by a doctor in his private clinic. It was manufactured by Sreesan Pharmaceuticals in Tamil Nadu. Tests conducted at the Tamil Nadu Drug Testing Laboratory revealed that the syrup contained 48.6 percent DEG, a highly toxic chemical known to cause kidney failure [Source: DrugsControl Media Services]. The doctor, Praveen Soni, continued to prescribe Coldrif even after children began showing signs of renal complications. Two drug inspectors, Sharad Jain and Gaurav Sharma, were later suspended for negligence [Source: TNN. Cough syrup deaths] and Sreesan Pharmaceutics were shut down permanently.
In Rajasthan, the company behind the deaths of several children was Kayson Pharmaceuticals. The firm had a record of repeatedly supplying substandard and fake medicines, yet it continued to find a place in government procurement. The tragedy unfolded after children were given cough syrup supplied to a government hospital. Following the incident, the Rajasthan government tested the medicine and cleared the manufacturer of any fault. The initial response was to blame the doctor for prescribing dextromethorphan cough syrup to children under the age of two, leading to his suspension. Later, the government shifted the blame to the families, accusing them of self-medicating their children [Source: DrugsControl Media Services. Rajasthan Cough Syrup Crisis].
History of DEG Poisoning Cases in India
For the first time, the deaths of children caused by cough syrup have drawn the attention of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation in Delhi. The national regulator finally conducted the test of suspected medicine. It may sound unbelievable, but this is the first instance out of six such tragedies in India to reach the central authorities and receive wide media coverage. Here are the five previous cases of DEG poisoning in India:
- In 1972, in Madras, now Chennai, fifteen children died after consuming a paracetamol elixir contaminated with DEG. The supplier’s licence was cancelled, but no criminal action was taken.
- In 1986, at Mumbai’s J.J. Hospital, fourteen patients lost their lives for the same reason. The inquiry that followed brought no justice and resulted only in recommendations for administrative reform.
- In1988, in Bihar, eleven children died after taking cough syrup found to contain DEG. No one was punished.
- In 1998, in Gurugram and Delhi: thirty-three children died after consuming cough syrup containing DEG.
The most recent case before this year was in 2019, in Jammu and Kashmir, where twelve children died after consuming contaminated syrup. Legal proceedings are still pending and justice remains out of reach.
Can One Trust Medicines They are Consuming
If you trust your medicines or your doctor without question, it may be time to rethink that confidence. In Madhya Pradesh, children lost their lives after consuming a branded cough syrup. The tragedy exposed another unsettling detail. How did a doctor in Madhya Pradesh come to prescribe a medicine manufactured in Tamil Nadu? Investigations revealed that the doctor was receiving an eighteen percent commission from Sreesan Pharmaceuticals. He never checked the background of the company that produced the syrup.
This raises a larger concern. As consumers, we should not trust any medicine unless it comes with a verified test report. SayaCare’s founder, Dhruv Mathur Gupta, and Dr. Shivangi identified the problem of fake medicines in India years ago. It was this concern that led them to create SayaCare. The company sources medicines directly from manufacturers and sends them to an NABL-approved laboratory for testing. Only those medicines that pass the tests are listed on the SayaCare website, each accompanied by its test report. SayaCare’s purpose is clear. It aims to make tested generic medicines accessible across India. The company stands by a simple belief: Tested hai toh Bharosa hai!!!!
Conclusion
India’s experience with DEG poisoning is not new. What happened in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan was a crime. When something happens once or twice it can be called a mistake. When it happens a third or fourth time it becomes a known attempt. When it happens for the fifth or sixth time it becomes a habit and a crime. The pattern never changes. Children consume syrup and die. The manufacturing units are closed. Then silence returns until the next tragedy brings the same questions back into the news.
In Nepal, young citizens recently took matters into their own hands and forced the removal of corrupt officials. We too must act. Every consumer should ask for a test report before buying any medicine. Real change will come only from a demand for transparency, verified testing, and accountability at every stage of production and supply. The lesson from these deaths is not about the failure of one company or one state. It is about the urgent need to rebuild trust in medicine through evidence rather than belief. Tested medicine is not a privilege. It is the right of every citizen.