Gambia yet to confirm if India-made cough syrups caused death of 70 children: Report

According to an India Today report, the sources in the Indian government said that the autopsy reports of the deceased children revealed that they were infected with Escherichia Coli (E. Coli) and suffering from diarrhoea.

A government official questioned why those children were administered cough syrups.

In October, the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued a medical alert saying four cough syrups --  Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup -- produced in India could be potentially linked to child deaths in Gambia.

WHO had added that laboratory analysis of samples of the products "confirms that they contain unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol as contaminants," adding that those substances are toxic to humans and can be fatal.

After this, the Haryana state drug officials found glaring irregularities during the inspection of the manufacturing facility of Maiden Pharma, the firm which manufactured the cough syrups linked to Gambian kids’ deaths by WHO.

On Monday, Tijan Jallow, an official at Gambia's Medicines Control Agency, the drugs regulator of the country, said that the exact cause of the deaths had not been pinpointed yet.

"We haven't concluded yet it is the medicine that caused it. A good number of kids died without taking any medications," Jallow said. "Other kids died. We have tested the medications that they took and they are good," he added.