Manama, Bahrain – Bahrain has taken steps to ban from its markets the contaminated cough syrups made in India in response to recent reports of the death of many children who consumed them in some countries.
The National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) on Sunday confirmed that the Kingdom’s markets are free of Indian cough syrup. The action followed after the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned against the sale and consumption of these products.
The NHRA has emphasized that Indian cough syrup is not registered in Bahrain and therefore has not been imported into the country. The authority has also reiterated that it does not allow the entry of any products that are not manufactured in approved and registered factories in the Kingdom.
The Authority has reassured the public that it is committed to ensuring the safety of medicines and pharmaceuticals circulating in the Kingdom. It is also monitoring the situation closely and is in constant touch with the pharmaceutical authorities and health services in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries regarding medicines and their safety.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has claimed that 300 children have died so far since August 2022 across three countries due to substandard cough syrups made in India..
A few days ago, the World Health Organisation issued another alert for an India-manufactured, contaminated cough syrup sold in the Marshall Islands and Micronesia. This is the third such alert within seven months for contaminated cough syrups produced in India, with the previous cases having been identified in the Gambia and Uzbekistan.