Deadly medicinal syrups? A presidential commission of inquiry in The Gambia said on Friday that four types of syrup imported from India were responsible for the deaths of at least 70 children from acute kidney failure in 2022.
The working group identified several malfunctions that led to the use of these adulterated syrups, Health Minister Dr. Ahmadou Lamin Samateh told reporters. He announced the dismissal of the head of the drug control agency and his deputy. The minister also pointed to the responsibility of a supervising pharmacist who authorized the importation of syrups without carrying out the necessary controls.
cough and cold syrups
In October 2022, The Gambia recalled several drugs, including all cough and cold syrups in circulation in the country and all products from the Indian laboratory Maiden Pharmaceuticals, from which the adulterated syrups are extracted, after the deaths of at least 70 children. According to the WHO, these drugs contained “unacceptable” levels of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, which are commonly used as antifreeze and can be fatal if ingested.
The Commission of Inquiry concluded that the drugs had not been registered with the Drug Control Board as required by law prior to importation and found that there is an urgent need to set up a quality control laboratory to conduct tests on all drugs imported into the country. The Minister of Health also pointed out several points that need to be improved for a better healthcare system, such as the establishment of a pharmacy school at the university or stricter controls on the drugs in circulation.
Prosecution is under consideration
He also said that the Gambian government is looking at ways to sue the Indian pharmaceutical laboratory that produced the drugs and get compensation. In this case, a process is to be opened in The Gambia at the end of October. Following this health scandal, India launched an investigation and in October 2022 closed the manufacturing facility of Maiden Pharmaceuticals laboratory in North India.
In early 2023, the WHO launched a call for “immediate and coordinated action” to eradicate non-compliant and counterfeit medicines, particularly counterfeit cough syrups. A total of 300 children have died in The Gambia, Indonesia and Uzbekistan.