Cough Syrup Scandal In Gambia: I Want Justice For My Son, Says Mariam Kuyateh

Mariam Kuyateh

Cough syrup has allegedly killed Mariam Kuyateh son in the Gambia. A red motorbike (Toy car) was seen in front of Mariam Kuyateh home gathering lots of dust.

The red motorbike should be presented to Mariam son for her 20-month-old son, but unfortunately, Musa died in September.

Mariam Kuyateh: Cough Syrup Scandal in the Gambia

Musa is one of the children in The Gambia who has allegedly died after being fed a cough syrup. The cough syrup is linked to an acute kidney virus, says WHO (World Health Organisation).

Musa’s red motorbike becomes a symbol of what has been lost and no one in the family dare touches it.

Mariam Kuyateh ‘age 30’ has four children and every time she remembers what happened to her son, she burst into tears. It is a painful experience for her.

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Mariam Kuyateh explained how the sickness begins and it’s end

Mariam is sitting in her home in one of the locales of The Gambia’s largest city (Serrekunda). She was interviewed on how the sickness of her son begin. She said it all started as a flu and she went to see the doctor. Her husband bought syrup to treat the sickness.

Mariam said that after giving him the syrup, the flu stopped but it led to another crisis “my son isn’t able to urinate”. When she noticed this, she rushed to the hospital and Musa was sent for a blood test. The blood test has it, that he doesn’t have malaria. Still, the hospital treated him for another terrible illness but it didn’t work out, so, they had to fix a catheter but he didn’t urinate.

When all options prove abortive, they have to commence operation on the child and there was no improvement after that.

In the end, he died.

Mariam Kuyateh

Mariam Kuyateh: How the syrup come to life

In the first quarter of this week, the World Health Organization issued a world alert over 4 cough syrups that were connected with people’s death in the Gambia.

It was seen that the syrup is manufactured by an Indian company ‘maiden Pharmaceuticals’. The company failed to provide a guarantee for people’s safety.

Mariam Kuyateh

The Indian government has launched an investigation, the firm is yet to respond to BBC’s request for comment.

Health Minister Dr Ahmadou Lamin Samateh has been called to resign, not only that, they can’t everyone that brought the drug into the country should be prosecuted.

Mariam says, sixty-six children are many, and justice needs to be served as the victim were innocent.

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