At least 18 children in Uzbekistan have died after taking a medicinal syrup for relief of cold and flu symptoms manufactured by an Indian pharmaceutical company, authorities said, raising its previous report of 15 fatalities.
The Samarkand Regional Children’s Multidisciplinary Medical Center’s chief physician informed the head of the regional health department in a letter dated December 15 that all 21 children who took Doc-1 Max – which is manufactured by the Indian company Marion Biotech – have experienced kidney damage and kidney failure.
The press service of the Uzbek ombudsman reported that the 18 deaths are among 21 children who took the medicine Doc-1 Max while suffering from an acute respiratory disease, confirming information previously issued by Uzbekistan’s Health Ministry.
The service described the victims as children from the Jizzaq, Samarkand, Navoi, and Qashqadaryo regions- six of them were under 6 years old while 15 were under 3 years old. The three children who recovered after taking the syrup have been discharged from the hospital.
The Health Ministry said in a statement on December 27 that a batch of the syrup that was imported to Uzbekistan by Quramax Medical LLC, contained ethylene glycol, which is a toxic substance.
In light of the incident, the ministry had reportedly dismissed seven employees for negligence since they failed to analyze the deaths in a timely manner and take necessary measures and have also disciplined several employees without specifying their role in the incident.
The instructions for use on Doc-1 Max, the sale of which in Uzbekistan was temporarily suspended from December 22, indicate that the medicinal syrup is suitable for children aged 2 and older. According to the ombudsman, however, similar drugs from other companies are only allowed for children older than 12 years.
Although aware of the reports from Uzbekistan, Indian Health Ministry officials declined to comment on the incidents, and the manufacturing company Marion Biotech has also avoided commenting on the death reports.
Meanwhile, Doc-1 Max’s sale has also been suspended in Kyrgyzstan.
