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Bhopal, October31: In a disturbing repeat of the recent Betul-Chhindwara cough syrup tragedy, where over 25 children died after allegedly consuming adulterated formulations, another incident has surfaced from Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh. A five-month-old girl, identified as Ruhi Minote from Bichua village, died early Thursday after reportedly being given an Ayurvedic cough syrup purchased from a local medical shop. According to officials, Ruhi’s parents had bought the herbal medicine on October 27 to treat her cough and cold. However, within hours of administering the syrup, the infant’s condition deteriorated. She was rushed to the Community Health Centre around 4:30 am, where doctors declared her dead on arrival. Cough-Syrup Related Deaths: Tamil Nadu Halts Production of Coldrif Syrup After Child Deaths in MP and Rajasthan. Following the incident, authorities sealed Kurethe Medical Store, from where the medicine was purchased, and seized the remaining stock. Samples have been sent to a government laboratoryfor analysis. Chhindwara Collector Harendra Narayan confirmed that the Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) has been directed to conduct a detailed probe. “We are awaiting the post-mortem report,” he told TOI. Officials added that the case is being examined under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, given the unregulated sale of ayurvedic formulations for infants. The administration had recently issued warnings to chemists, instructing them not to sell cough syrups to children under one year of age without medical prescription. Cough Syrup Deaths: Supreme Court Rejects PIL Seeking CBI Probe, Nationwide Drug Safety Review. The bereaved family has lodged a police complaint, alleging negligence by both the store and local health authorities. Ruhi’s father said, “We only gave her what the store recommended. Within hours, she stopped breathing.” He also alleged that no doctor was available at the government hospital. Officials stated that the exact cause of death will be determined after the post-mortem and forensic examination of the seized syrup samples.
