The case involving the drug "Doc-1 Max," which tragically led to the deaths of 65 children, has taken a new turn as Sardor Kariev, the former head of the Agency for the Development of the Pharmaceutical Network, provides insights into the sequence of events surrounding the drug's use and testing. The controversial situation has prompted legal action against those implicated, raising concerns over pharmaceutical safety and accountability.
The drug "Doc-1 Max" has come under scrutiny following the unfortunate deaths of 65 children due to its consumption. Sardor Kariev revealed to Daryo correspondant that after the initial reports of 14 child deaths linked to the syrup in Samarkand, the drug underwent toxicity testing on mice. This pivotal step in December 2022 aimed to assess the potential dangers associated with the medicine.
Upon learning about the child fatalities attributed to the drug, Sardor Kariev, then the head of the pharmaceutical agency, took immediate action. He communicated with relevant authorities and initiated the withdrawal of the "Doc-1 Max" syrup from pharmacies across Samarkand. The syrup was then transported to Tashkent for comprehensive analysis to determine the cause of the adverse effects.
The initial analysis of the syrup did not reveal any problematic components; however, patients exhibited signs of poisoning. Sardor Kariev attributed these adverse effects to possible incompatibility with other medications. Notably, subsequent testing on mice yielded alarming results. The mice subjected to the drug displayed fatal outcomes, leading experts to conclude that the "Doc-1 Max" syrup possessed poisonous properties.
"It was December 2022, and I was in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, on a business trip. I received a message from the head of the department of the Ministry of Health. It reported about the incident related to the death of children in the city of Samarkand. As I was on a trip when I received the message, A.A. I gave it to my first deputy. I said that the employees of our branch in Samarkand should collect the syrup from all the pharmacies around the hospital where children's deaths are observed and bring it to our laboratory in Tashkent.
I said that no one should go home, work on this situation and send me the analysis. Four or five hours later, they gave the results of the analysis. According to the regulatory document, there are no problems with "Dok-1 Max" syrup. We started looking at pharmacies. Syrups in all pharmacies were recalled.
On the one hand, I was happy when they said that there were no problems with "Dok-1 Max". On the other hand, there is a problem, poisoning was observed, maybe there is a wrong use, maybe it was a reaction due to taking it at the same time as another drug, so I gave this syrup to the animals and conducted an examination. But the mice that drank this syrup also died, and it was concluded that the syrup contained poison," said the defendant.
The repercussions of the child deaths prompted legal actions against those connected to the drug's import and distribution. Quramax Medikal company, responsible for importing the syrup from India, faced legal scrutiny. Among the accused individuals is the company's director, Singh Ragvendra Pratar, who will face court proceedings. Additionally, Sardor Kariev, who was dismissed from his position by the president following the children's deaths, was later arrested after allegations of corruption and misappropriation of funds were revealed by the prosecutor's office.
The case involves a total of 21 individuals, comprising 16 men and 5 women. Of these, 7 people are in custody, 12 are under house arrest, and two have been granted bail. The complex legal process reflects the gravity of the situation and the determination to hold all those involved accountable for the tragic consequences of the toxic syrup.
Earlier Daryo reported the trial within Uzbekistan has exposed a troubling web of corruption, neglect, and inadequate procedures, leading to the loss of children's lives and emphasizing the need for responsibility.
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