Indian pharmaceutical products responsible for deaths of sixty-six children

The Gambia Police Force has revealed that four indian pharmaceutical products are responsible for the deaths of over sixty-six children in The Gambia.

This is contained in the report released by the country’s Police Force on Tuesday October 11, 2022.

According to the report, after the outbreak of Acute Kidney Injury which claimed the lives of at least 66 children in The Gambia, the Office of the Inspector General of Police, through its Crime Management Coordination Unit, opened a swift probe into the incident and discovered the following information.

The report established that Atlantic Pharmaceuticals Company was granted permission to import medicines and medical-related products in The Gambia.

“The release of these medical products to the retailers/final consumers was immediately followed by an Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) outbreak in the Gambia resulting in the death of at least 66 children,” the report says.

The circumstances of the deaths prompted the Ministry of Health and its stakeholders to investigate the cause(s) of death, according to the police report.

“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 deaths of these children are associated with four contaminated Indian-made baby syrups bearing the names Lakoff baby cough, maghrib, and cold, promethazine syrup, and kofexmalin baby cough syrups imported in the Gambia by Atlantic Pharmaceuticals Company Limited,” the report adds.

It was further established that from the aforesaid sum of 50, 000 bottles of contaminated baby syrups, 41, 462 bottles have been quarantined/seized by MCA, and 8, 538 bottles remained unaccounted for.

The Police Force further identified pending issues to be clarified with required evidential material and justifications.

“While the investigation into this matter continues, the general public is once again urged to remain calm in this difficult situation,” the report concludes.