India is the world’s largest producer of pharmaceuticals, and the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made some efforts to promote the country’s pharmaceutical industry. Narendra Modi once introduced India as the “pharmacy of the world“. However, the credibility and quality of the pharmaceutical industry in India have been damaged to some extent by the crisis that arose from The Gambia.
WHO is currently investigating 66 child deaths in the West African country known as The Gambia. Four types of cough syrup are suspected to be the cause of death, and at the same time, they issued a global warning. India is the country where these syrups are produced. It is reported that the Indian pharmaceutical company that produced the suspect syrups has even failed to give a guarantee regarding their safety.
Kidney Disorders In Children
Medical authorities in The Gambia have detected an outbreak of acute kidney injury among children under the age of five since last July. After that discovery, the intervention of the World Health Organization regarding the situation in The Gambia began. Then the Gambian government acted to stop the use of paracetamol syrup in the country completely. People were advised to use paracetamol tablets instead. It is reported that the number of deaths has decreased since the ban, but two more child deaths have occurred in the last two weeks.
The country’s director of health services, Mustafa Bite, has said that there are no laboratory facilities in The Gambia that can test the safety of medicines through an analysis. Therefore, they need the support of another external party to carry out the relevant investigations. It is also special that they started negotiating with the World Bank regarding getting funds for a quality control laboratory after such a tragic fate. WHO has already started raising global awareness of the health risks posed by The Gambia, and they are announcing it in the form of a warning!
Contaminated Syrup
According to the warning, WHO has mentioned four substandard products (syrup) reported from The Gambia last September. As they have been identified as products that fail to meet quality standards or specifications, it is suspected that the respective syrups may be linked to child deaths. Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup have been introduced by the WHO, and it has been confirmed through laboratory analysis that they contain unacceptable levels of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol as contaminants. has been
Even in a context where WHO calls these four types of syrups “off-spec” drugs, the relevant Indian company (Maiden Pharmaceuticals) has not given a guarantee regarding the safety and quality of its products. There is a possibility that suspected Indian drugs found in The Gambia may enter other countries or regions through the informal market. Hence, the need for a global warning naturally arises.
Many Complications
Diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol are toxic to humans and sometimes fatal. If such a solution occurs, there is a possibility of complications such as abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, difficulty urinating, headache and changes in mental status. Even acute kidney problems can occur. The World Health Organization points out that it is best to suspect that all categories of products named above are unsafe for use until they have been analyzed by the responsible national regulatory authorities. Medicines contaminated with diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, in particular, can cause serious injury or death to children.
Since there is a possibility of these syrups circulating out of The Gambia through the informal market, action must be taken to identify those circulation routes and remove the suspicious products immediately. WHO has requested that the supply chains of other countries and regions that may be affected in this way be searched very carefully and diligently. It is also important to continue monitoring informal or unregulated markets.
India’s Response
The authorities related to the regulation of drugs in India have started investigations. According to Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij, samples of the suspected syrup have already been sent to the Central Drug Laboratory in Kolkata. He has mentioned that any action will be taken according to their results.
Maiden Pharmaceuticals has been approved to export the syrups that led to the crisis, but they are not being promoted or sold in India. Therefore, India is not vulnerable to the risk posed by dubious syrups. India’s health ministry says the United Nations health agency has failed to provide causal links to individual child deaths in The Gambia. They have also stated that the labels and product information of the syrups distributed in The Gambia has not been given to the Central Pharmaceutical Standards Control Organization of India. However, the Indian authorities hope to get the help of WHO in carrying out the investigations.
The Story Of Musa
Twenty-month-old Musa, who died last September, was also given the suspected syrup. No one in Musa’s family tries to touch even one of his toys. It is because the memory of Musa warms their hearts. According to Musa’s mother, who is still in her thirties, she had bought the syrup for her son’s fever. It is based on the doctor’s recommendation. “When we gave him the syrup, the fever stopped, but that led to another problem. The son was not urinating.”
Musa was taken back to the hospital, where a blood test revealed that he did not have malaria, which is common in The Gambia. Although another treatment was given, it was also unsuccessful. Finally, the little boy underwent an operation, which also failed. Doctors in The Gambia could not save Musa.
Parents Demanding Justice
The people of Gambia are very angry about the deaths of children. The citizens of The Gambia are emphasizing that the drug importers should be prosecuted and the country’s health minister should resign. “Sixty-six is a big number. That’s why we need justice because these victims are innocent children,” Musa’s mother said.
Not only she but almost all the parents who have lost their children are demanding justice. Like Musa’s mother, they have a sad story to tell. Almost all the mothers who were given the suspicious syrups had their children hospitalized because of problems with their urination. In the end, those children suffered a painful death.
Maryam Sisavo, another mother who has lost her child, says that she is from a background where there is no laboratory with facilities to check the safety of drugs coming into The Gambia.
Should India be responsible for child deaths in The Gambia?