The government has started an investigating into four cough syrups manufactured by a Haryana-based pharmaceutical firm after the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that they could be linked to deaths of 66 children in Gambia.
The global health body’s chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the syrups are manufactured in Haryana, India and have been potentially linked with cases of “acute kidney injuries and 66 deaths among children “.
According to sources, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has taken the matter immediately with the Haryana regulatory authority and launched a detailed investigation. They added that as per the information available at this point, it seems the firm had exported these products only to Gambia. The company is yet to respond to the allegations.
The medicines have been identified as Promethazine Oral Solution, Kefexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makeoff Baby Cough Syrup and Mayrip N Cold Syrup. “Laboratory Analyst confirms that these four products contain unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol as contaminants”, said WHO. “To date, these four products have been identified in the Gambia, but may have been distributed, through informal markets, to other countries or regions”.
According to WHO, diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol are toxic to humans when consumed and can prove fatal, adding that the toxic affect “can include abdominal pain, vomitting, diarrhoea, inability to pass urine, headache, altured mental state and acute kidney injury which may lead to death”. The global health body has advised countries to remove these products from their markets. “The WHO is also conducting an investigation with the company and regulatory authorities of India”, Ghabreyeaus said.
image credits: Deccan Chronicle
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