Chennai: Parents visiting government hospitals in Tamil Nadu say paracetamol syrup meant for children—especially those under one year—is in short supply, forcing hospitals to issue tablets instead.
Tamil Nadu records about 9 lakh deliveries annually, and children receive multiple vaccinations from birth up to 16 years. Soon after immunisation, some children develop fever or swelling at the injection site.
To manage such post-vaccination symptoms, liquid paracetamol syrup is typically provided. With around 60% of children receiving vaccinations at government facilities, the shortage has led staff to hand out a paracetamol tablet and advise parents to break it into four parts and dissolve it in water before giving it to infants.
While this practice was earlier reported mainly in rural areas, parents now say the shortage has surfaced in Chennai as well. At the Thiruvottriyur Urban Primary Health Centre, a three-month-old baby was reportedly given a tablet instead of syrup, and the child later developed fever despite the dose.
Director of Public Health Somasundaram said the department would look into the issue of tablets being given in place of syrup for children and take action.
