A minimum of 18 youngsters have died in Uzbekistan after consuming a medicinal syrup made by Indian drugmaker Marion Biotech, in line with the Uzbek Well being Ministry.
The ministry mentioned 18 out of 21 youngsters who took the Doc-1 Max syrup whereas affected by an acute respiratory sickness died after consuming it. It’s marketed on the corporate’s web site as a remedy for chilly and flu signs.
A batch of the syrup contained ethylene glycol, which the ministry mentioned was a poisonous substance. The syrup was imported to Uzbekistan by Quramax Medical, the ministry mentioned in its assertion launched on Tuesday.
It additionally mentioned the syrup was being given to youngsters at dwelling with no physician’s prescription, both by their dad and mom or on the recommendation of pharmacists, at doses exceeding the usual youngsters’s dose.
It wasn’t instantly clear if all or a few of the youngsters had consumed the suspect batch, or greater than the usual dose, or each.
Marion Biotech, Quramax Medical and the Indian Well being Ministry didn’t instantly reply to a Reuters request for remark. A supply from the Indian authorities instructed Reuters the well being ministry is wanting into the matter.
India on Tuesday launched an inspection of some drug factories throughout the nation to make sure top quality requirements.
The Uzbek incident follows an analogous one in The Gambia, the place the deaths of at the very least 70 youngsters have been attributed to cough and chilly syrups made by New Delhi-based Maiden Prescribed drugs. Each the Indian authorities and the corporate have denied that the medication have been responsible.
India is called the “pharmacy of the world” and its drug exports have greater than doubled over the previous decade to US$24.5 billion within the final fiscal 12 months.
The Uzbek Well being Ministry mentioned it fired seven workers for negligence as a result of they failed to research the deaths in a well timed method and take the required measures. She mentioned she took disciplinary motion towards some “specialists” with out specifying what position the specialists performed.
Additionally it is withdrawing the Doc-1 Max tablets and syrups from all pharmacies.
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