Govt panel: Info shared by WHO so far inadequate to determine aetiology
New Delhi: The committee set up by the government to examine reports potentially linking the death of 66 children in The Gambia to four made-in-India cough syrups has observed that the clinical information shared by the World Health Organisation so far is inadequate to determine the aetiology.
This was conveyed to the WHO by Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) V G Somani on Saturday.
Rutendo Kuwana from the WHO on October 13 had written to the DCGI seeking to know the progress with the investigation of the manufacturer of the four cough syrups -- the Sonipat-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals.
In an email response, Dr Somani on Saturday said the Union Ministry of Health has constituted a committee of technical experts to examine and analyse the details of the adverse event reports and all related details shared by or to be shared by WHO and to recommend follow up action.
Somani said the four-member committee chaired by Dr Y K Gupta, Vice Chairperson, Standing National Committee on Medicines, in its first meeting has examined the reports and communications so far received from WHO and has made several observations.
Mentioning the observations, Dr Somani said, "The clinical features and the treatment received by the children as shared by WHO so far are inadequate to determine the aetiology."
The details of initial illness, sign and symptoms, duration of anura in the cases, results of laboratory investigations conducted including various markers and parameters, specific investigations for
diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol on critical samples of the patients, treatment received before and after hospitalization at the tertiary hospital in Gambia, treatment received before and after acute kidney injury was suspected and reasons thereof, names and brands of the drug formulations used in the treatment before and after hospitalization, their
manufacturers, their expiry other relevant information in each of the cases, are necessary, he said.
Dr Somani further said in case, verbal autopsy was conducted, a detailed report may be shared by WHO.
Dr Somani has sought details on the number of stool samples collected and analysed and the number of children with a similar clinical presentation to acute kidney injury from whom the biological samples were collected.
He also sought the details of the product samples collected and tested (with their compositions, manufacturers) which were reported to be negative for EG and DEG, the details of cases who received these products.
"You are therefore requested to share the report on causal relations along with above details, as observed by the said Technical Committee at the earliest for further examination and follow up action at our level," he wrote.
