Indian govt probes WHO's complaint about India-made cough syrups

By Team Newsable | First Published Oct 6, 2022, 10:21 AM IST

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus have said the four syrups "have been potentially linked with acute kidney injuries and 66 deaths among children". The four medications are Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup, and Magrip N Cold Syrup, according to the WHO medical product warning.

After the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that four cough syrups made by a Haryana-based pharmaceutical business might be related to the deaths of 66 children in The Gambia, the Indian government has launched an inquiry.

According to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare officials, the WHO notified the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) about the cough syrups. According to the sources, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization promptly took up the matter with the Haryana regulatory authorities and initiated a thorough inquiry.

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"Based on the available facts, CDSCO initiated an urgent inquiry with the State Regulatory Authorities shortly after receiving contact from WHO. While all necessary steps will be taken in the matter, as a strong National Regulatory Authority, WHO has been asked to share with CDSCO as soon as possible the report on the establishment of a causal relationship between the medical products in question, photographs of labels/products, and so on," according to sources.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a notice on Wednesday over the usage of four cough and cold syrups manufactured by Maiden Pharmaceuticals in India, warning that it might be related to the deaths of 66 children.

The investigation was begun after 66 children died in Gambia, according to the news agency AFP. The UN health agency also warned that the tainted pharmaceuticals might have been sold outside of the West African country, posing a risk of worldwide exposure.

According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the four cold and cough syrups in issue "have been possibly related to acute renal damage and 66 fatalities among children." "For their families, the loss of these young lives is painful."

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According to Tedros, WHO is also "doing additional inquiry with the industry and regulatory authorities in India." The four medications are Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup, and Magrip N Cold Syrup, according to the WHO medical product warning.

"To yet, the indicated producer has not supplied WHO with guarantees on the safety and quality of these items," according to the notice, adding that laboratory analysis of product samples "confirms that they contain excessive quantities of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol as impurities."

It said that the toxic impact "may include stomach discomfort, vomiting, diarrhoea, difficulty to pass urine, headache, changed mental state, and severe renal damage which may lead to death."

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