A toy red motorcycle collects dust in the corner of Mariam Kuyateh’s home.
Musa, her 20-month-old son, was supposed to receive it, but he passed tragically in September.
According to the World Health Organization, he is one of 66 children in The Gambia who are believed to have died after receiving cough syrup “possibly connected with acute renal damage.”
No one in the family touches Musa’s toy, as it serves as a constant reminder of what has been lost.
His mother, who is 30 years old and has four other children, was in tears as she recalled what had happened to her kid.
She said, as she sat in her Serrekunda, a suburb of The Gambia’s major city, Serrekunda, home, that he contracted the flu. After seeing a doctor, her spouse purchased syrup to treat the issue.
“The flu disappeared when we gave him the syrup, but it led to another issue,” Ms. Kuyateh explained.
“My child was not urinating.”
Musa was sent for a blood test, which ruled out malaria when she returned to the hospital. Another unsuccessful therapy was administered, and then a catheter was inserted, but he did not pass urine.
The young child was finally operated on. There was no progress made.
“He could not survive; he passed away”
The WHO issued a global notice regarding four cough syrups earlier this week about the deaths in The Gambia.
The goods – Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup, and Magrip N Cold Syrup – were manufactured by an Indian company, Maiden Pharmaceuticals, which lacked safety assurances, according to the WHO.
The Indian government is conducting an investigation.
There is a great deal of indignation in The Gambia regarding the recent events.
There are increasing calls for the resignation of Health Minister Dr. Ahmadou Lamin Samateh and the prosecution of the country’s drug traffickers.
“Seventy-six is an enormous number. Because the victims were innocent youngsters, we require justice,” stated Ms. Kuyateh.
Aisha, age 5 months, was another victim.
Her mother, Mariam Sisawo, realized one morning that her infant was not urinating after taking the cough medicine.
On her initial visit to the hospital, the 28-year-old was informed that her daughter’s bladder was normal. Aisha was referred to a hospital in Banjul, the country’s capital, which was 36 kilometers (22 miles) from their Brikama home, only after two additional trips on consecutive days.
She died there after five days of treatment.
“My daughter had a horrible death. When medics attempted to insert a drip into her, they were unable to locate her veins. I, along with two other ladies from the same ward, lost our infants.
“I have two sons, while Aisha was my only daughter. My husband was overjoyed to get Aisha, and he still cannot accept her passing.
Mustapha Bittay, the head of the Gambia’s health services, stated on the BBC’s Focus on Africa show that the country lacks a laboratory capable of testing the safety of medications, requiring them to be shipped overseas for testing.
President Adama Barrow announced the country’s intention to establish such a facility on Friday. In a televised address to the country, he also asked the health ministry to study applicable laws and procedures about imported pharmaceuticals.
Ms. Sisawo believes that the administration should have exercised greater vigilance.
“This is a lesson for parents, but the government bears the greater duty. Before any pharmaceuticals enter the country, they should be examined to determine whether they are safe for human consumption.
Isatou Cham was too distraught to discuss the death of Muhammed, her two-year-and-five-month-old son.
She and her two other children exited the living room of their home in Serrekunda while crying.
Alieu Kijera, the father of Muhammed, explained what had occurred to his son.
He reported being transported to the hospital because he had a temperature and was unable to urinate. Muhammed, though, was being treated for malaria, and his health was worsening.
The doctors then recommended that he be treated in neighboring Senegal, where the health care is believed to be superior; but, despite some improvement, it was not enough to save him.
Mr. Kijera is furious that his country lacks a sufficient health care system, forcing him to travel abroad.
“Had there been the proper equipment and medication, my son and many other children could have been saved,” he added.
