New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry has advised states to step up disease surveillance after at least 14 children in Madhya Pradesh died after allegedly consuming a cough syrup detected with exceeding levels of Diethylene Glycol —a toxic chemical used as a solvent in syrups.

Chairing a high-level meeting with state health officials and drug regulators the Union Health Secretary, Punya Salila Srivastava has asked states, to ensure enhanced surveillance, timely reporting by all health facilities (both government and private), at the Integrated Health Information Platform IHIP platform under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme .

Srivastava has also directed to undertake, “joint action in the context of outbreak response and unusual health events.”

Notably, the direction fr

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