Fever or cough syrups contaminated with glycol and two of its derivatives have caused nearly 250 cases of acute kidney injury in children in Indonesia since August, resulting in the death of at least minus 141 of them. Glycol, often used as antifreeze, and also as a solvent in syrups, was reportedly present in excessive amounts in at least five products made by three different pharmaceutical companies, causing the formation of oxalic acid and stones in the kidneys.
Most of the infected children are under 5 years old, but some older ones have also been hospitalized. The process was often quick: parents said they gave their children syrup prescribed by the local clinic, causing vomiting and difficulty urinating. Most of the victims died two to five days after being transported to the emergency room.
This slaughter has made the front page of the newspapers several times. But the anger it provokes and which is growing in social networks does not seem to have identified a person responsible at this stage. The Indonesian government blames the tragedy on the pharmaceutical industry. The head of the Medicines Oversight Agency (BPOM), Penny Lukito, said Monday, October 24 after a meeting with President Joko Widodo “consider criminal prosecution” against at least two local companies whose products are in question. Their identity has not been revealed. The police are carrying out investigations. Mr. Widodo called for full government coverage of the medical expenses of the families concerned.
“Consumer safety issue”
The BPOM is the target of some criticism from parents who are worried or whose children are sick. But it disclaims all responsibility for control: it is up to the companies, and not to BPOM, to “check the concentration of the components present in their products”, reiterated its director on Monday. Mme Lukito however recognized “that certain parts of the drug production chain which were not subject to controls must now be”.
In Jakarta, the Indonesian Consumer Organization (YLKI) believes that these cases of poisoning violate the law on several counts: “First, consumers have the right to know, including what inspections have been carried out, or not, and whether [le problème se situe] at the level of production, storage or distribution. Then there is a real problem of consumer safety”, explains Mr. Sudaryatmo, one of the executives of the YLKI, at the headquarters of the organization, in the south of the Indonesian capital. Like many people born before the 1970s, he uses only one name. According to Sudaryatmo, the BPOM responses are problematic: “We don’t even know if there are inspections, or what they have given in the past, because the reports are not public”, he continues. YLKI has established a task force to carry out consultations across the country. But she has yet to receive a formal complaint. “In Indonesia, people’s awareness of their consumer rights is still not very high”, recalls Mr. Sudaryatmo. Another association for legal aid to victims, called YLBHI, has launched an appeal to the families of the victims to organize collective criminal proceedings.
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