Dok-1 Max Case: "It never crossed my mind that children in our country could be affected by medication poisoning"

Deputy Minister of Health, Elmira Bositkhanova, testified as a witness in the court hearing of the "Dok-1 Max" case. This was reported by Daryo's correspondent  present at the court.

Deputy Minister of Health, Elmira Bositkhanova, was summoned to the courtroom for the regular trial session on October 27, 2023, and was questioned during the court proceedings.

At the end of the trial, the Deputy Minister, who provided testimony as a witness, addressed the parents of the deceased children from "Dok-1 Max," expressing her apologies to them.

"Every doctor under my guidance who was involved with the children felt the same pain as you did. We suffered and persevered, putting in our best efforts. I apologize to all of you for not even considering that the children were being poisoned by medications in our country, that this was a new type of COVID. I would ask doctors to do everything possible to eliminate any suspicion that doctors did something wrong," said Elmira Bositkhanova.

Earlier, Daryo reported that new corruption allegations have emerged in the "Dok-1 Max" case, a criminal investigation linked to the deaths of 65 children in Uzbekistan due to the syrup and ointments. During a recent court session on October 20, a witness disclosed that an Uzbek official demanded an extra $45,000 on top of the standard registration fee for three Indian-manufactured medicines. The money was allegedly paid in two installments of $20,000 and a final payment of $25,000.

In return, the official provided certificates for these medicines, which were reported to be without discrepancies. The head of the registration department at the State Center for the Examination and Standardization of Medicines, Medical Devices, and Medical Equipment, Sh.Sh., is accused of receiving this money but denied the allegations. This case has seen previous bribery claims, including a $33,000 bribe offered for the importation of the drug "Kuraraks" and allegations of upfront payments and further demands for the re-registration of 11 medicines.

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