Sat Oct 04 06:24:24 UTC 2025: Here’s a news article summarizing the provided text:
**Rajasthan Suspends Drug Controller, Halts Medicine Distribution Following Child Deaths Linked to Cough Syrup**
**Jaipur, Rajasthan – October 4, 2025** – The Rajasthan government has taken swift action following reports linking the deaths of 11 children (nine in Madhya Pradesh and two in Rajasthan) to potentially contaminated cough syrup. State officials have suspended the State Drug Controller, Rajaram Sharma, and halted the distribution of all medicines manufactured by Jaipur-based Kaysons Pharma, pending further investigation.
The Medical and Health Department has stopped the supply of all 19 medicines made by Kaysons Pharma as a precaution. Distribution of all cough syrups containing Dextromethorphan has also been suspended.
Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma has ordered a detailed probe into the matter and formed an expert committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths. Health Minister Gajendra Singh has also ordered a separate inquiry, emphasizing the need to safeguard public health.
Principal Secretary of the Medical and Health Department, Gayatri Rathore, highlighted a 2021 advisory from the Union government against administering Dextromethorphan to children under four years old. The Drug Controller General of India has now advised that the syrup should generally be given only to children above five years old and never to those under two.
According to Pukhraj Sen, managing director of Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation Ltd (RMSCL), Kaysons Pharma has a history of failing quality standards. Over 10,000 samples of the company’s drugs have been tested since 2012, with 42 failing to meet the required criteria.
To prevent further harm, the government has announced that drugs potentially harmful to children and pregnant women will now carry clear warning labels. The investigation is ongoing, and officials are committed to ensuring the safety of pharmaceutical products within the state.
First Piper 