Toddler Succumbs to Brain Fever in Jaipur: Family Alleges Pre-Hospital Cough Syrup Dose from Churu Home
Jaipur — A tragic incident unfolded at the government-operated J.K. Lon Hospital here when a six-year-old boy, battling severe brain fever, passed away early Saturday morning, just six hours after his admission. The child’s parents have pointed to a dose of cough syrup administered at their residence in Churu as a possible factor, raising fresh alarms in a region already reeling from similar pediatric fatalities.
According to hospital records, the boy, named Anas, arrived at the facility around 4 a.m. on October 4 and succumbed at 10 a.m. despite medical interventions. He had been under treatment at a local hospital in Churu for the preceding three days before the transfer to Jaipur for advanced care. Family members told authorities that they had given the child the over-the-counter cough syrup at home prior to his initial hospitalization, a detail confirmed by an official familiar with the case.
This heartbreaking case emerges against a backdrop of heightened scrutiny over child health in northern India. Recent reports have documented 11 such deaths among young children — nine in Madhya Pradesh and two in Rajasthan — all purportedly connected to tainted cough syrup formulations. In Rajasthan, the earlier incidents occurred in Bharatpur and Sikar districts, where the affected children reportedly received the medication through the state’s free drugs initiative at public health centers.
Despite the mounting concerns, state officials have maintained that laboratory examinations cleared the implicated syrup of any impurities. Tests conducted at a state-run facility revealed no evidence of contamination or manufacturing defects, they emphasized.
Rajasthan Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar reinforced this stance during a briefing, asserting the medication’s integrity. “We got the medicine checked twice. First our drug controller tested it and then the RMSCL tested it. Nothing wrong was found in it,” Mr. Khimsar stated, referring to the Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation Limited, the body overseeing drug procurement and quality control.
The minister’s comments come as investigations continue into the broader cough syrup controversy, which prompted the suspension of a drug controller and a halt to distributions from Kaysons Pharma in Rajasthan. In Madhya Pradesh, authorities have outright banned sales of the Coldrif brand following the cluster of renal failure cases among children.
As forensic and epidemiological probes deepen, medical experts urge parents to consult physicians before using any syrups, especially for febrile illnesses in minors. Anas’s untimely death serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities in pediatric care, with officials promising swift action to safeguard future supplies. The family, grieving in Churu, awaits autopsy results that could shed light on the exact cause, while the incident underscores the urgent need for rigorous pharmacovigilance across the country.