The Gambia Police have started probing the death of 66 children, which have been linked to four brands of cough syrup imported into the country.
| Cough syrups kill 66 children in The Gambia |
According to the office of the President, senior officials from the Medicine Control Agency and the importers have been called for interrogation.
President of The Gambia, Adams Barrow, has come out to assure that the authorities will “leave no stone unturned” in the probe.
Of course, Gambians are angry and asking who to blame for the unfortunate incident.
According to BBC:
On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a global alert over the four cough syrups – warning they could be linked to acute kidney injuries and the children’s deaths in July, August and September.
The products – Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup – were manufactured by an Indian company, Maiden Pharmaceuticals, which had failed to provide guarantees about their safety, the WHO said.
Bereaved parents disclosed to BBC how their children were unable to urinate after taking the cough syrups. As their conditions got worse, efforts to save their lives proved futile.
The Indian government has started investigation the matter.
Gambia Health Officials as well as Red Cross workers are moving door-to-door, to markets and pharmacies, in search of the syrups and other medicines.
President Barrow, while expressing his regrets for the loss of life, assured “the source of the contaminated drugs” would be investigated.
