NEW DELHI: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued yet another alert for an India-made contaminated cough syrup sold in the Marshall Islands and Micronesia.
This is the third alert issued by the world health body in seven months. As per the alert the syrup Guaifenesin, which was used to relieve chest congestion and cough, was found to contain “unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol” by the quality control labs of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of Australia.
These chemicals, which were also found in syrups that were allegedly linked to the deaths of 70 children in the Gambia and 18 children in Uzbekistan, are toxic to humans when consumed and could prove fatal.
The WHO in its ‘Medical Product Alert' said the product is unsafe and its use, especially in children, may result in serious injury or death. The toxic effects can include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, headache, and acute kidney injury that may lead to death.
The syrup was manufactured in the two Pacific Ocean countries by Punjab-based QP Pharmachem Ltd and was being marketed by Haryana-based Trillium Pharma.
The WHO said, “To date, neither the stated manufacturer nor the marketer has provided guarantees to WHO on the safety and quality of these products.”
“The product cited in the alert may have marketing authorisations in other countries in the western Pacific region and may have also been distributed through informal markets to other countries or regions,” the WHO said.
The contaminants were reported from one batch of the medicine with an expiry date in October 2023.
The WHO said the contamination was reported to them on April 6. The world health body also advised that if people have the affected product, they should not use it.
It also requested increased surveillance and diligence within the supply chains of countries and regions likely to be affected by these products.
Increased surveillance of the informal/unregulated market is also advised. National regulatory authorities/health authorities are advised to immediately notify WHO if these substandard products are discovered in their respective country, it said in the alert.
Earlier this year, an India-manufactured eye drop was linked to an outbreak of highly resistant bacterial infections in the US. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the top medical watchdog in the US, had linked the eye drops manufactured by Chennai-based pharma company, Global Pharma Healthcare, to the likelihood of a highly drug-resistant bacteria gaining a foothold in the US.