Tashkent [Uzbekistan], December 29: At least 18 children have died after taking a medicine in the form of a syrup made by Indian pharmaceutical company Marion Biotech, the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan said on December 27.
According to the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan, 18 of the 21 children who took Doc-1 Max syrup while suffering from acute respiratory illness died later. The drug is advertised by the company on its website as a treatment for cold and flu symptoms, Reuters reported.
One batch of Doc-1 Max contained ethylene glycol, which Uzbek health officials say is a toxic substance. Quramax Medical is the company that imports this product into Uzbekistan, according to a statement from the country's health authorities.
The Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan also said that the syrup was bought by parents for children to take at home, sometimes on the advice of a pharmacist without a doctor's prescription, in doses exceeding the standard dosage for children. em.
It was not immediately clear whether all or any of the children had taken the syrup in the suspected consignment, had taken more than the standard dose, or both.
Marion Biotech, Quramax Medical and India's Ministry of Health were not immediately available for comment. An Indian government source said the country's health authorities are looking into the matter.
India on December 27 conducted an inspection of several drug factories across the country to ensure high quality standards.
The Uzbekistan incident follows a similar incident in the Gambia , where 70 children are believed to have died from cough and cold syrup made by New Delhi-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals. Both the Indian government and the company denied the drug was the cause.
India has been dubbed " the world 's pharmacy " and its pharmaceutical exports have more than doubled over the past decade to $24.5 billion in the last fiscal year.
The Uzbek Health Ministry said it had fired seven employees for negligence in not timely analyzing deaths and not taking necessary measures. The department said it had taken disciplinary measures against a number of "experts", without specifying the roles of those professionals.
The agency is also recalling Doc-1 Max tablets and syrup from all pharmacies across Uzbekistan.
Source: ThanhNien Newspaper