Rid's fatal syrup still on shelves
Days after the Rid Pharmaceutical plant was sealed off and its deadly paracetamol syrup ordered to be withdrawn, another infant became a victim of the toxic syrup in Rangpur.
A Rangpur pharmacy sold a paracetamol syrup of Rid to Rani's parents and she fell ill after taking the medicine.
The government sealed off the Brahmanbaria plant of Rid that was proved guilty of using poisonous diethylene glycol in its paracetamol syrup. The move came after 25 children at two Dhaka hospitals died in July of renal failure after having the syrup.
Four days after the plant was sealed off, on July 21, parents of 10-month-old Rani of Syedpur under Pirgachha in Rangpur gave her the syrup. A local pharmacy sold the syrup to them on July 26.
Rani is now fighting for life. She has renal failure. Her parents had to take her home yesterday from Rangpur Medical College Hospital since they cannot afford to take her to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) hospital in Dhaka, which the doctors had recommended.
Even though the product was supposed to be withdrawn from all pharmacies across the country as per the government directive, Rid's syrup is still available and Rani's case is just a tragic manifestation of this fact.
Rani's parents said they bought it on July 26 as per the prescription of village doctor Syedur Rahman and that Rani stopped urinating and defecating after receiving three doses of the syrup.
Prior to admitting Rani to RMCH, her parents took her to Islami Community Hospital in Rangpur. Dr Sadequl Islam of the hospital told The Daily Star, "Her parents brought the syrup along with them when they met me at my Sayedpur chamber. I saw that it was manufactured by Rid Pharma."
Head of the child ward of RMCH Prof Nurul Absar said Rani needed dialysis, a service not available in RMCH and she needs to be transferred to BSMMU.
Following the deaths of 25 children in quick succession--all due to renal failures--the government on July 21 formed a seven-member probe committee, which found poisonous substances in the syrup.
Diethylene glycol, a compound used in battery and tanneries, was used in the syrup instead of Propylene Glycol.
Even though Health Minister Prof AFM Ruhal Haque said legal actions would be taken against the company, the Drug Administration is yet to file any case against Rid Pharma.
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