Police in The Gambia say they’ve seized 41, 462 bottles of apparently toxic cough syrups blamed for the death of 69 infants which has caused public consternation.
Usage of the four brands of syrups was suspected to have been the cause of an outbreak of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) among the children since July, prompting the Crime Management Coordination Unit of The Gambia Police Force to launch criminal investigations.
WHO said the syrups “contain unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol as contaminants” which can cause vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, inability to urinate, headache, acute kidney failure and death.
Of the 50, 000 bottles of contaminated baby syrups thought to have been imported to The Gambia, 8, 538 bottles remained unaccounted for, according to the police who have opened a hotline to facilitate the next stage of their investigations.
President Adama Barrow has since ordered that all medical licenses of suppliers of the dangerous cough syrups in question be suspended.
The police say after preliminarary investigation, they have established that the local outfit granted license to import the contaminated syrups from the India-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals has been identified as Atlantic Pharmaceuticals Company.
”Investigations so far revealed that Atlantic Pharmaceuticals Company Limited ordered a quantity of 15, 000 bottles of makoff baby cough syrups of 100ml, 15, 000 bottles of magrip and cold syrups of 100ml, 10, 000 bottles of promethazine baby syrups of 100ml and 10, 000 kofexmalin baby cough syrups of 125ml. Thus, amounting to a combined total of 50, 000 bottles of contaminated baby syrups” the police said in a statement.
Meanwhile the Indian health ministry has said it has ordered the syrups in question to be suspended and closed the offices of the Maiden Pharmaceuticals.
Other African countries such as Nigeria and South Africa have put their health surveillace systems on alert over the contaminated products after the World Health Organisation suggested that the syrups may have reached other parts of the world.
WN/as/APA