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Month after she took Coldrif syrup, 4-yr-old dies in Nagpur hospital

Ambika had been admitted to New Health City Hospital in Nagpur on September 14 and had been on ventilator support since then. The deceased is the daughter of one daughter of one Shripal Vishwakarma from Kakai-Bilva block in Chourai district.

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With Ambika’s death, the number of fatalities linked to Coldrif has risen further. According to doctors, two more children from Madhya Pradesh remain critical and are still on life support in Nagpur.

A four-year-old girl from Chourai district in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, who had been undergoing treatment in Nagpur for nearly a month after consuming the now banned Coldrif cough syrup, died late on Tuesday. Ambika had been admitted to New Health City Hospital in Nagpur on September 14 and had been on ventilator support since then. The deceased is the daughter of one daughter of one Shripal Vishwakarma from Kakai-Bilva block in Chourai district.

According to her family, the sequence of events started in early September when Ambika’s cousin, Om (8), developed a cough and cold. His parents took him to a local doctor who prescribed Coldrif. After Om recovered, the same syrup was given to his sister Gungun (10) when she developed similar symptoms. Seeing both the kids recover, Ambika’s father decided to give his daughter the same medicine. The parents used the same prescription again when Ambika caught a cold a few days later and got the syrup from a pharmacy.

“They had taken a photo of the old prescription and bought a new bottle. In villages, people often reuse old prescriptions to avoid extra doctor visits,” Narendra Vishwakarma, Ambika’s uncle, told The Indian Express.

Ambika was given two to three doses of the syrup before she began complaining of severe stomach pain and uneasiness around September 12-13. She was first taken to Chhindwara, where doctors administered saline and discharged her. As her condition did not improve, the family consulted another doctor in the area, who admitted her again on September 13.

By then, Chhindwara authorities had already begun investigating Coldrif-related deaths, but the Vishwakarma family was unaware of this.

The treating doctor, Dr Pawan Nandakar, noticed Ambika’s kidneys had stopped functioning. He ran a test, and immediately referred her to Nagpur. She was admitted to New Health City Hospital on September 14, where she remained on life support for nearly 27 days.

Narendra Vishwakarma, said the family managed to clear the hospital bills only after administrative assistance and was preparing for her last rites on Wednesday.

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Dr Ashish Lothe, professor, Department of Paediatrics, who was one of the doctors involved in Ambika’s treatment at the Nagpur hospital, said the child had been fed via ryles tube and on dialysis.

“Her kidneys had started to recover, but there was no neurological improvement. The brain had stopped responding. Sometimes, the family misinterpreted small movements as signs of recovery, but those were abnormal spasms,” Lothe said.

When asked about her cousins surviving the Coldrif consumption, Dr Lothe said the batch would definitely have been different. The contamination would have been in one batch.

He added that Ambika’s blood pressure and heart rate had begun fluctuating in the last few days due to brain-related autonomic disturbances.

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“She was a fighting child. Unlike others who died within a few days, she survived almost a month on the ventilator. We tried everything, but the toxin is very strong and damages both kidneys and the central nervous system,” Dr Lothe said.

Doctors in Nagpur treating Coldrif-affected children have formed a collective to coordinate treatment and share updates. “It is heartbreaking for all of us. We were trying hard to ensure at least some of the children survived,” said Dr Lothe.

Ambika’s family initially sought treatment from Dr Arvind Jain (not Dr Praveen Soni, which was common in other cases) before being referred further. They have handed over one empty and one half-filled bottle of Coldrif to the Drug Inspector team for examination.

Ankita Deshkar

Ankita Deshkar is a Deputy Copy Editor and a dedicated fact-checker at The Indian Express. Based in Maharashtra, she specializes in bridging the gap between technical complexity and public understanding. With a deep focus on Cyber Law, Information Technology, and Public Safety, she leads "The Safe Side" series, where she deconstructs emerging digital threats and financial scams. Ankita is also a certified trainer for the Google News Initiative (GNI) India Training Network, specializing in online verification and the fight against misinformation. She is also an AI trainer with ADiRA (AI for Digital Readiness and Advancement) Professional Background & Expertise Role: Fact-checker & Deputy Copy Editor, The Indian Express Experience: Started working in 2016 Ankita brings a unique multidisciplinary background to her journalism, combining engineering logic with mass communication expertise. Her work often intersects regional governance, wildlife conservation, and digital rights, making her a leading voice on issues affecting Central India, particularly the Vidarbha region. Key focus areas include: Fact-Checking & Verification: As a GNI-certified trainer, she conducts workshops on debunking deepfakes, verifying viral claims, and using OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) tools. Cyber Law & IT: With postgraduate specialization in Cyber Law, she decodes the legalities of data privacy, digital fraud, and the evolving landscape of intellectual property rights. Public Safety & Health: Through her "The Safe Side" column, she provides actionable intelligence on avoiding "juice jacking," "e-SIM scams," and digital extortion. Regional Reporting: She provides on-ground coverage of high-stakes issues in Maharashtra, from Maoist surrenders in Gadchiroli to critical healthcare updates and wildlife-human conflict in Nagpur. Education & Credentials Ankita is currently pursuing her PhD in Mass Communication and Journalism, focusing on the non-verbal communication through Indian classical dance forms. Her academic foundation includes: MA in Mass Communication (RTM Nagpur University) Bachelors in Electrical Engineering (RTM Nagpur University) Post Graduate Diploma (PGTD) in Cyber Law and Information Technology Specialization in Intellectual Property Rights Recent Notable Coverage Ankita’s reportage is recognized for its investigative depth and emphasis on accountability: Cyber Security: "Lost money to a scam? Act within the 'golden hour' or risk losing it all" — A deep dive into the critical window for freezing fraudulent transactions. Public Health: "From deep coma to recovery: First fully recovered Coldrif patient discharged" — Investigating the aftermath of pharmaceutical toxins and the healthcare response. Governance & Conflict: "Gadchiroli now looks like any normal city: SP Neelotpal" — An analysis of the socio-political shift in Maoist-affected regions. Signature Beat Ankita is best known for her ability to translate "technical jargon into human stories." Whether she is explaining how AI tools like MahaCrimeOS assist the police or exposing the dire conditions of wildlife transit centres, her writing serves as a bridge between specialized knowledge and everyday safety. Contact & Follow X (Twitter): @ankita_deshkar Email: ankita.deshkar@indianexpress.com ... Read More

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