Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government has banned the sale of Coldrif cough syrup following the death of 14 children in Chhindwara due to suspected renal failure, with officials stating the drug samples were found to contain a highly toxic substance.

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has also initiated risk-based inspections at the manufacturing units of 19 drugs, including cough syrups and antibiotics, across six states, the Union health ministry said on Saturday.

A sample of the syrup, tested by the government drug analyst at the Drug Testing Laboratory in Chennai, was declared "Not of Standard Quality" by the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Drug Control, officials said here.

The action by the Madhya Pradesh government came in the wake of the deaths of 14 children in C

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