A victims’ rights group has asked Gambian police to lockdown the premises of Atlantic Pharmaceuticals Company and any other importer and pharmacy involved in the deaths of 70 children linked to contaminated syrups imported from India. 

In a statement the group, which is officially known as JusticeFor66+Campaign, said 

it is “committed to justice and accountability for the death of over 70 Gambian children and many more hospitalised or sick at home from acute kidney injury. 

“We hold that the death and sickness of these children from the consumption of fake and deadly cough syrups made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd in India and purposely imported only into the Gambia constitutes gross negligence by the authorities mandated to protect the healthcare system. 

“For that matter, we hold the Gambia Government, in particular the Ministry of Health and its allied agencies, the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) and the Pharmacy Council of the Gambia squarely responsible for these deaths and illnesses.”

“We note with dissatisfaction the Government response to the crisis so far. The President’s address to the nation on October 7 followed by the Minister of Health’s press conference on October 8 as well as the release of the preliminary report of the Inspector General of Police are misleading and grossly inadequate in addressing this crisis.

“We are therefore renewing our call on the President to dismiss the Minister of Health and the Executive Director of MCA, and to dissolve the MCA and Pharmacy Council boards pending the conclusion of investigations,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, the group on Friday (20 October) submitted a petition to the National Assembly requesting a parliamentary investigation into the contaminated syrups saga.