A generic cough syrup supplied through Rajasthan’s government health facilities has been banned after being linked to the deaths of two children and multiple reports of illness. The state has now ordered a full investigation and pulled 22 batches of the drug from circulation.

According to officials, over 1.33 lakh bottles of the syrup had been distributed since July under the state’s free medicine scheme. After alarming incidents in Sikar, Bharatpur, and Banswara, health authorities confirmed that the remaining stock would no longer be dispensed. In Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh Hospital alone, more than 8,000 bottles are now sealed and marked for recall.

The issue resurfaced in the public eye after Nitish, a five-year-old from Sikar, died shortly after being given the syrup prescribed at the Chirana community health centre. The incident occurred on September 29, the morning after the child received a dose.

“The child’s condition worsened at night and he died Monday morning while being taken to the hospital,” said ASI Rohitashwa Kumar from Dadiya police station. While the child’s parents declined to pursue legal action or a post-mortem, a complaint was filed by his maternal grandfather.

Just a week earlier, a similar tragedy struck in Bharatpur when two-year-old Samrat Jatav lost his life after being administered the same syrup. His grandmother, Nehni Jatav, shared the family’s ordeal: “Three of my grandchildren took the syrup. Two eventually woke up after vomiting, but Samrat never regained consciousness. We only realised later that the medicine was the cause.”

Amid rising concerns, Dr Tarachand Yogi, head of the Bayana community health centre, attempted to prove the medicine’s safety by taking a dose himself in front of anxious parents. He was found unconscious eight hours later in his car.

Meanwhile, eight children between the ages of one and five reportedly fell sick in Banswara after consuming the same medication. The health department has issued immediate instructions halting its use statewide.

Ajay Phatak, Drug Controller of Rajasthan, confirmed that samples were collected from Sikar, Jhunjhunu, and Bharatpur. The laboratory results are expected within three days. “The syrup should not be administered to children below five years of age,” he cautioned.

Despite recurring issues, this cough syrup has remained in circulation. Records show 40 quality failures over the past two years, across multiple districts: Udaipur (17), Ajmer (7), Sikar (4), Bhilwara, Jaipur (2), Banswara (2), Jodhpur (1), and Bharatpur (2).

Shockingly, the manufacturer Kaysons Pharma continued to supply the syrup even after repeated quality failures and initial blacklisting. A senior RMSCL official, Jai Singh, stated: “Doctors have been asked to stop prescribing the syrup. Samples from all 22 batches are being tested, and supplies from Kayson Pharma have been halted.”

Further investigation reveals troubling loopholes in the procurement process. Despite having government testing labs, the Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation Limited (RMSCL) reportedly depends on private labs. Sources claim that when one private lab deems a drug substandard, companies simply approach another for clearance. With internal collusion, these re-approved drugs re-enter public supply.

This pattern of poor regulation isn’t new. A report by Aaj Tak uncovered that over 100 medicines have failed testing every year for the last five years under the Chief Minister’s Free Medicine Scheme. So far in 2025, 81 samples have already failed. In 2024, the count stood at 101. Since January 2019, a staggering 915 drug samples have failed quality control in the state.

The ongoing crisis highlights critical flaws in the oversight of Rajasthan’s free medicine initiative a scheme meant to provide accessible healthcare, now tainted by compromised safety and weakened accountability.