Gambia Cough Syrup deaths: Indian health regulator confirms contamination after WHO alert

In 2022, Gambia reported the death of several children due to consumption of made-in-India cough syrup and claimed that the medicine were contaminated and potentially harmful for dosage. In an update in this case, Indian health regulator confirmed the presence of toxic chemicals in the cough syrup.

After the World Health Organization (WHO) raised an alert on Punjab-made cough syrup, the Indian health regulator found it contaminated with diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol, a senior official was quoted in News 18 report on Wednesday.

The manufacturer of the affected product is QP Pharma Chem Limited in Punjab, India. The marketer of the product is Trillium Pharma in Haryana, WHO pointed out.

However, earlier, the Indian pharma brand commented in this regard and said that someone had duplicated the syrup to defame the Government of India.

"Food And Drug Administration (FDA) of Punjab doubt that someone has duplicated the product (cough syrup) sent to Cambodia and then sold it in the Marshall Islands and Micronesia to defame the Government of India," said Sudhir Pathak, MD of the firm based in Dera Bassi, Punjab.