The Uzbekistan Health Ministry announced on Tuesday that 18 children with severe respiratory disease died after consuming excessive doses of Doc-1 Max cough syrup supplied by Marion Biotech, an Indian company.
DOC-1 Max Cough Syrup Consequences –
According to the ministry, one batch of the syrup included ethylene glycol, a dangerous chemical. The children drank “extreme amounts”, the syrup was brought into Uzbekistan by Quramax Medical LLC, based on a statement made by the government on Tuesday.
The cough syrup in question is ‘Doc-1 Max’, manufactured by the company Marion Biotech. The firm’s manufacturing plant is in Noida, according to its website. On the company’s website, it is promoted as a remedy for cold and flu symptoms.
Health Ministry of Uzbekistan
According to the health ministry of Uzbekistan, preliminary laboratory examinations have revealed that Doc-1 Max syrup, which based on the health experts is a central nervous system depressant that can cause serious or fatal toxicity. The health ministry statement, “Doc-1 Max syrup was wrongly utilized as an anti-cold cure by parents on their own or at the advice of pharmacy sellers because the main component of the drug is paracetamol. And it was because of this that patients’ conditions deteriorated. The deceased youngsters took this drug at home for 2-7 days, 3-4 times a day, 2.5-5 ml, which exceeds the recommended dosage”.
It was unclear whether all or all the children had taken the suspect batch of Uzbekistan, or whether they had consumed more than the prescribed dose, or both. This drug is poisonous, and 1-2 ml/kg of a 95% concentrated solution can induce major health changes in patients, including vomiting, fainting, seizures, cardiovascular issues, and acute kidney failure.
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India began inspecting several medication facilities across the country on Tuesday to maintain high quality standards. It further claimed that the syrup was administered to youngsters at home without a doctor’s prescription, either by their parents or on the advice of pharmacists, and at amounts that exceeded the recommended limit, according to Reuters.
India Seeks Detail Investigation, Employees were Fired –
According to UrduPoint, a criminal case has been filed against Quramax Medical and the State Center for Expertise and Standardization of Medicines officials under Article 186-3 of the Criminal Code (Violation of the order of retail sale of medicines containing potent substances).
Following the ministry’s announcement, sources in the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) told news agency ANI that the claim would be investigated. In response to an email from ANI requesting additional information on the deaths, a World Health Organization (WHO) official stated, “The WHO is in contact with the health authorities in Uzbekistan and is ready to assist in further investigations.”
It was also stated that 7 responsible employees were fired from their positions because they were irresponsible and negligent to their duties, did not study child mortality in a timely manner, and did not take the appropriate actions, also disciplinary measures were applied to several specialists. The shortcomings identified in the study materials, as well as the issue of medical personnel’ responsibilities, will be discussed at a separate meeting of the Ministry of Health’s Collegium, it stated.
According to the ministry, the gathered documents were turned over to law enforcement officials. Furthermore, it was said that the medicine Doc-1 Max tablets and syrups are currently being pulled from sale in all pharmacies around the country in the prescribed manner.
Charges After Gambia Made Similar Claims –
The charges come months after the Gambia made similar claims, blaming cough medication made in India for the deaths of 66 children. The children drank “high amounts” of the cough syrup, which contained ethylene glycol, a chemical that should not be in cough syrup manufactured by Haryana-based Maiden Pharma.
Concerning the deaths of 66 children in Gambia, the Centre recently notified the Rajya Sabha that the control samples of four cough syrups purportedly responsible for the deaths in the African country were of standard quality.
