Indonesia issue ban on syrup medicines after death of 99 children
The Indonesian government has issued a ban on all syrup and liquid pharmaceuticals and over the counter sales after 99 children died from acute kidney injury.
Health Ministry spokesperson Mohammad Syahril said the 99 deaths and 206 cases of acute kidney injuries in children, mostly under the age of 6, were being investigated.
“As a precaution, the ministry has asked health workers in health facilities not to prescribe liquid medicine or syrup temporarily. We also ask that drug stores temporarily stop all sales of non-prescription liquid medicine or syrup until our investigations are completed,” he said.
The ban was implemented as World Health Organisation (WHO) officials of the Southeast Asian nation looked into an unexplained increase since January in the number of paediatric deaths from acute renal damage.
WHO suspects that four of the syrups made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited Promethazine oral solution, Kofexmalin baby cough syrup, Makoff baby cough syrup and Magrip N cold syrup contained “unacceptable amounts” of chemicals that could damage the brains, lungs, livers and kidneys of those who take them.
According to the Southeast Asian country’s food and drugs agency, the syrups being used in The Gambia were not available in Indonesia.
However, Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol which are more usually found in products like antifreeze, paints, plastics and cosmetics had been detected in syrups found in the homes of some child patients.
“The chemicals should not have been present,” Budi said.
He added that the number of acute kidney failure cases could be higher than reported and his ministry was taking a conservative approach by banning the sale of all syrups.
