Police in the West African Gambia launched an investigation on Saturday into the deaths of 66 children, most of whom died of sudden kidney failure. The boys and girls are believed to have died after taking cough medicines containing paracetamol from India.
India has previously announced an investigation into Maiden Pharmaceuticals’ cold remedies, which the World Health Organization says are the possible cause of the deaths.
The announcement came after a lab analysis found “unacceptable” amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol were found in the cough syrups. Both substances can be toxic and lead to acute renal failure.
Gambian President Adama Barrow has ordered health authorities to suspend “the license of the suspected importer” involved in the case. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will communicate “the government’s greatest concern” to the Indian embassy, according to the president’s office.
“Under control”
The situation is now under control, the president said. After 66 deaths in three months, ‘only’ two cases became known in the past two weeks. The first alarm bells went off in July after local doctors found that some children were getting sick after taking cough medicine.
However, pharmaceutical company Maiden tells Reuters news agency that it was only informed of the deaths of the children on Thursday and that the company is trying to investigate the matter.
Barrow promised Friday to tighten all health measures, including instituting better quality control of imported medicines. The import and sale of all cough syrups with paracetamol has now been shut down. Pharmacies and households have also been urged to stop using the type of product. According to the president, the government will leave “no stone unturned” to get to the bottom of the incident.
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