The World Health Organisation (WHO) last month reported that the deaths of the children in The Gambia may be linked to four contaminated cough and cold syrups made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals, an Indian drug manufacturer.
The deaths of the children caused public outcry in the country and beyond with many calling for the resignation of the health minister, the dissolution of the country’s Medicines Control Agency (MCA) and Pharmacy Council among others.
Victims of the AKI have called on the government to ensure that those responsible for the deaths of their children are held accountable and prosecuted. The Gambia Police Force (GPF) has since launched an investigation into the matter. Many are hoping that at the end of their investigation, those responsible would be held to account.
Thus, speaking to The Point exclusively, Mr. Kandeh said: “I want President Adama Barrow and Dr. Samateh be taken to court because they are the people who brought this medication into the country.”
The father of a six-year-old girl who allegedly died of AKI added: “The president and minister of Health should have ensured that the Indian medicine is properly scrutinised upon arrival into the country.”
He said he was very upset when he heard President Barrow commending the Ministry of Health during his address to the nation regarding the AKI saga.
“He should not commend them when we lost our lovely children,” he said.
Mr. Kandeh, who currently resides at Touba Kuta, recalled that he took his 6-year-old child to his daughter for adoption but one day, his daughter called him via telephone and informed him that the child had fever but he told her to rush to the pharmacy to purchase medication.
“Later on, I returned the phone call and asked the whereabouts of the little child but she replied to me that the sickness is getting worse. I told her to quickly bring her to the Brikama District Hospital. We were admitted to the hospital for four days and released.”
“After two days, the situation got worse. This forced me to return to the hospital. I spent two days at the hospital and we were later referred to Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul where she passed away on 17 September 2022,” he narrated.
However, he insisted that the government should launch legal action against the President and Minister Samateh for the deaths of innocent children.
