In a recent advisory, WHO revealed how many children in the Gambia died due to ingesting cough syrup to get rid of their bad throats.
When your child is suffering from a sour throat and cough, using cough syrup for their relief seems to be the reflex action of parents. Cough syrups are one of the most commonly bought over-the-counter medicines, and are found in almost every household.
Harrowing news from the West African country the Gambia revealed how sweet-tasting cough syrup, which is preferred by small children over bitter tablets, turned into poison for many such children in the country.
Issued a serious alert, the World Health Organisation (WHO) sounded a warning about four such cough syrups that claimed the lives of over 60 children in the Gambia. The global health organization further advised stopping their use, describing these products as dangerous for health.
In fact, cases of kidney diseases were increasing in children as young as five years of age in the Gambia, with many of them passing away due to this disease. After an investigation conducted by WHO, it was revealed that the cause of death of these kids was the innocent household cough syrup. The amount of some elements in it was very high and it is suspected that due to these chemicals named diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, 66 children lost their lives there.
The WHO further linked these cough syrups with India, as they were manufactured by Maiden Pharmaceutical limited, with manufacturing plants set up in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Thus, the news of the 66 deaths of Gambian children caused a stir in India.
From central to the state government, all the authorities in the country sprung into action to conduct raids at the plants of Maiden Pharmaceuticals today. Zee Media also reached out to the Maiden Pharmaceutical offices in Delhi, only to find them deserted.
When the Zee Media crew reached the Delhi offices of the company, the door was locked from the inside. After spotting the cameras, the people inside also turned off the lights inside the office. Despite several attempts to talk to the company, no one answered the door.
At the same time, India's National Drug Regulator i.e. CDSCO also started investigating the matter. In the initial investigation of CDSCO, it has been found that the medicines of Maiden Pharma, which are controversial, were approved by the State Drug Control Authority of Haryana. These drugs were only being exported to the Gambia.
It is important to understand why ingesting these cough syrups became fatal for dozens of innocent children. Two chemicals have been responsible for the deaths of these children – Diethylene glycol and Ethylene glycol. These compounds are completely colourless and odourless, but make the cough syrup taste sweet and appealing to children.
Guidelines have been set for adding this compound to cough syrup, which state that for one kilogram of medicine, only 0.14 grams must be added. However, some companies overlook these guidelines to make these medicines taste sweeter.
These chemicals, if ingested in higher quantities, can cause directly affect the kidney of the person and can cause kidney failure in the later stage, also leading to paralysis in some cases. Since the quantity of both chemicals in four of the cough syrups was high, it is suspected to be the cause of the deaths of 66 children in the Gambia.
READ | Cough syrups suspected in deaths of children in Africa not sold in India, says government; samples sent for testing
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