It has also been informed by WHO that the certificate of analysis will be made available to WHO in the near future, and WHO will share with the Indian regulator which is yet to be done.
"The exact one to one causal relation of death has not yet been provided by WHO to CDSCO," the statement added. Diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol are toxic to humans when consumed and can prove fatal. Its effects include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, inability to pass urine, headache, altered mental state, and acute kidney injury which may lead to death. The Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited had manufactured and exported the four syrups, namely Promethazine Oral Solution BP, Kofexnalin Baby Cough Syrup, MaKoff Baby Cough Syrup and MaGrip n Cold Syrup, to The Gambia. The Times of India quoted a senior official of Maiden Pharmaceuticals as saying on Friday that the company did not know how it all happened. "We are still getting the information," the official said. None of these four drugs of Maiden Pharmaceuticals is sold domestically in India. Meanwhile, leading pediatricians in India are quite critical of the incident. A leading pediatrician at the government-run Ram Manohar Lohia hospital in Delhi said that the syrups are not actually required in treatment for children up to three years. "As per the set standards, these particular four syrups which were exported from India to Gambia are actually not required for treatment of respiratory related ailments among infants up to three years. They were perhaps administered to the kids in a fit of medical activism," said the pediatrician. Ritabrata Kundu, a child health specialist at Kolkata-based Institute of Child Health, said the involved syrups contained contaminated substances, adding, "The act on the part of the pharma company is highly condemnable. It is wrong usage of drugs, which are not used in syrups sold in India." Neelam Mohan, a leading pediatrician based in Gurugram, a city adjacent to New Delhi, is of the view that syrups meant for children must be used very cautiously. "I can't really comment on why these deaths have occurred till the investigations get completed. But there is definitely a concern on usage of substances like Diethylene Glycol and Ethylene Glycol in making those cough syrups, as mentioned by WHO," Mohan said. Mohan added that it was high time the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) created guidelines for public use of such products meant for children. (Xinhua)
