Jakarta, IO – The Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) is suspected of being involved in the distribution of cough medicine that can potentially cause acute kidney failure from which hundreds of children in Indonesia have died.
A number of families of the victims have been seeking to bring those responsible for the distribution of the toxic cough syrup to court, per BBC Indonesia, Thu (21/12).
National Police’s Criminal Investigation Bureau (Bareskrim) has been investigating the case. Head of sub-directorate I of Bareskrim’s Specific Crimes Directorate (Dittipidter) Indra Lutrianto Amstono said the police have issued a letter ordering the start of an investigation (sprindik), which means there will be new suspects.
They are suspected of being involved in the procedures for distribution permit issuance at BPOM which were deemed not compliant with standards. In this case, BPOM is also considered negligent in monitoring the raw materials for the production of the cough syrups resulting in them being widely distributed.
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Police have vowed to get to the bottom of the public health crisis. “We are currently investigating the involvement of those deemed responsible,” he said.
Cases of acute kidney failure have killed 204 children since they first appeared in December 2022. A number of experts said that this incident occurred due to the use of drugs containing contaminated substances such as ethylene glycol (EG) and diethylene glycol (DEG) that exceeded the safe limits. (un)