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India seeks details of Uzbekistan’s investigation into cough syrup
India has described the deaths of 18 children in Uzbekistan after allegedly consuming a cough syrup made in India as ‘unfortunate’.
NEW DELHI:The Indian authorities are in touch with their counterparts in Uzbekistan over the death of 18 children after allegedly consuming a cough syrup made in India, with the external affairs ministry saying on Thursday that the domestic pharmaceutical industry remains a reliable supplier of medicines across the world.
According to the press service of Uzbekistan’s health ministry, a study by a special working group confirmed that 18 out of 21 children with acute respiratory diseases had died after taking Dok-1 Max cough syrup, which is made by Noida-based Marion Biotech. The ministry further said laboratory studies detected ethylene glycol in Dok-1 Max.
Addressing a regular media briefing, external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi described the deaths of the 18 children in Uzbekistan as “unfortunate”. He added, “Uzbek authorities have not formally taken up the matter with us. Nevertheless, our embassy has contacted the Uzbek side and is seeking further details of their own investigation.”
He said the deaths appeared to have occurred over two months. “We understand that the Uzbek authorities are investigating this case, including whether there is a possible link with a cough syrup allegedly manufactured in India,” he said.
“We understand that legal action has been initiated by the Uzbek authorities against some people, including the local representative of the company there. In that context, we are extending necessary consular assistance to [that] individual,” he added.
Bagchi reiterated a statement issued by the Union health ministry, which said the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has been in touch with Uzbekistan’s national drug regulator regarding the matter since December 27.
The Uttar Pradesh Drug Control and CDSCO conducted a joint inspection of Marion Biotech’s facility in Noida and “further action as appropriate will be initiated based on the inspection report”, the health ministry said.
Marion Biotech was granted a license by the Drugs Controller of Uttar Pradesh for manufacturing Dok-1 Max syrup and tablets for export. Samples of the cough syrup taken from the manufacturing facility have been sent to the Regional Drugs Testing Laboratory (RDTL) in Chandigarh for tests.
Responding to a question, Bagchi said he would be “very hesitant” to describe the situation in Uzbekistan as similar to that in Gambia, where the deaths of more than 60 children had been linked to a cough syrup made by another Indian company.
“There are proper investigative mechanisms to find out what happened [and] each incident would be different. In the other case, the drug regulatory authorities were in touch with the WHO and the company,” he said.
“The Indian pharmaceutical industry has been a reliable supplier to countries across the world. It continues to be, in various forms of medicines or other pharmaceutical products. We take very seriously any such incidents when they come up...Let me not jump the process without the full investigation [having been completed],” Bagchi said.
In the case of Gambia, a parliamentary panel there said there were “unacceptable levels” of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol in a cough syrup made by Haryana-based Maiden Pharma. The cough syrups were linked to cases of acute kidney injury that caused the deaths of 63 children in Gambia.
