The sale of widely-used fever medication Napa syrup resumed in Brahmanbaria on Tuesday, three days after the traders decided not to sell it following the deaths of two children.
The drug stores in Brahmanbaria were seen selling the syrup, manufactured by Beximco Pharmaceuticals, after receiving a clearance from the district’s Pharmacy Owners Association.
“The Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) has stated that they found nothing harmful in the batch of Napa syrups,” General Secretary of the association Abu Kausar told Bangla Tribune.
Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Health Services committee appointed to investigate the deaths of the children submitted its report on Tuesday.
Comilla Medical College Director Dr Md Mohiuddin told journalists that the report had been submitted before the deadline.
He, however, refused to give further information on the report findings.
On the other hand, another probe committee formed by the Brahmanbaria 250-Bed Hospital authorities has suspended its investigation.
“We suspended our probe because the Chittagong Divisional Health Director’s office has already carried out an investigation,” said Dr Waheduzzaman, the hospital in-charge.
On March 11, two siblings – Yasin Khan, 7, and Morsalin Khan, 4 – sons of one Sujon Khan from Brahmanbaria, were given Napa syrup as they had a fever.
Family members claimed that both the children had fallen ill after consuming the medicine and had been taken to the hospital for treatment.
After providing primary care, the hospital authorities discharged them. But Morsalin died after reaching home while Yasin died on the way home.
The next day, Brahmanbaria Pharmacy Owners Association announced that they would not sell Napa syrup.
The pharmacy was temporarily closed following the deaths that created panic. The authorities collected all the syrups of three batches found in the store.
On Monday, the DGDA chief announced that the directorate had found nothing wrong in the other samples of the same production batch of Napa syrup.
Batch No 32113121 of the Napa syrup was produced during December 2021, and around 82,000 bottles of it were released in the market, said another official, adding that if it had been substandard or contaminated in any way, more complaints would have been reported by now.
The reason behind the deaths of the children, however, has still remained unclear as the authorities have yet to receive the post-mortem and forensic reports of the children.