Centre forms committee to examine WHO details on 66 kid deaths in The Gambia
Darpan News Desk IANS, 12 Oct, 2022 11:00 AM
New Delhi, Oct 12 (IANS) The Centre has formed a four-member panel to examine the detailed report shared by the World Health Organisation on 66 children's deaths in The Gambia reportedly after using Indian-made medicines.
"The committee will examining and analysing adverse event reports, causal relationship, and all related details shared by WHO. After examining, the committee will suitably advise and recommend the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) about further course of action. The committee may co-opt any other technical expert as deemed necessary, an official source told IANS.
The WHO had issued an alert on four India-made cough and cold syrups "potentially linked with acute kidney injuries and 66 deaths among children in Gambia".
The committee will be chaired by Dr Y.K Gupta, Vice Chairperson, Standing National Committee on Medicines. The other members are Dr Pragya D. Yadav, NIV, ICMR, Pune, Dr Arti Bahl, Division of Epidemiology, NCDC, New Delhi, and A.K. Pradhan, JDC(I), CDSCO.
The WHO has informed that as per the tentative results received by it, out of the 23 samples of the products under reference which were tested, four samples have been found to contain Diethylene Glycol/Ethylene Glycol.
However, the global health body has not yet made available the certificate of analysis. It has informed that the same will be made available in near future. The exact one to one causal relation of death has not yet been provided by the WHO to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) although it has requested the global health body twice in this regard, sources told IANS.
After the CDSCO launched a detailed investigation to ascertain the facts, the preliminary enquiry has revealed that Maiden Pharmaceutical Ltd, Sonepat, Haryana is a manufacturer licensed by the State Drug Controller for products Promethazine Oral Solution BP, Kofexnalin Baby Cough Syrup, MaKoff Baby Cough Syrup, and MaGrip n Cold Syrup under reference, and holds manufacturing permission for these products for export only. The company has manufactured and exported these products only to The Gambia.
Meanwhile, the CDSCO and State Drug Controller Haryana have stopped all the manufacturing activities of Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd at Sonepat on October 11 on grounds of deficiencies found on local inspection.
The incident took place in Baraut town and the motive behind it is said to be a property dispute. Circle Officer (CO) Yuvraj said that the deceased included Brijpal, 60, Jyoti, 24 and Anuradha, 17.
The Chief Minister said these clinics will be opened in every nook and corner of the state, adding, that in big villages, two such clinics will be opened for the convenience of the people. He said in the first phase, 75 such Aam Aadmi clinics have been dedicated to people to mark the 75th Independence Day.
Addressing the nation from the Red Fort, Prime Minister Modi said that the citizens are thankful to Bapu, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Babasaheb Ambedkar, Veer Savarkar and others who sacrificed their lives on the path of duty.
As India celebrates the 75th Independence Day with patriotic fervour and enthusiasm, police in the national capital have made stringent security arrangements, especially at the Red Fort, from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered his address to the nation.
An official statement quoting Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said Rs 295.60 crore was the pending arrears of sugarcane farmers which had to be paid by the government and cooperative sugar mills in the state.
A 25-year-old man was stabbed to death in full public view in the national capital, the police said on Friday. The deceased, identified as Mayank Panwar, was a hotel management student.
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