Indonesia temporarily bans syrup-based meds for children after discovering fatal ingredient

Indonesia has temporarily banned syrup-based medicines for children after some were found to contain a fatal ingredient. According to The Straits Times, the health ministry is investigating paracetamol syrups that contain diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol ingredients. Those ingredients have been linked to fatal acute kidney injury in children according to the health ministry. The country has seen a spike in such cases with 99 child deaths this year. Such ingredients were detected in products found in the homes of some of the patients, according to Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin.

“Some syrups that were used by AKI child patients under five were proven to contain ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol that was not supposed to be there, or of very little amount.”

But, the Ministry has declined to say how many child AKI patients the ingredients were detected, citing that the investigation is ongoing. As of Thursday, Indonesia has identified 206 AKI child cases, of which 99 were fatalities this year. Dr Budi said the real number of cases could be higher than reported.

The Gambia is also investigating the same ingredients in its local paracetamol syrups as it has seen 70 fatalities. India is now investigating Maiden Pharmaceuticals, a New Delhi-based company which produces the medicine. But Indonesia’s food and drug agency say those products from India were not available locally.