A recent court ruling in Indonesia has ordered two companies, Afi Farma and CV Samudera Chemical, to compensate the families of over 200 children who died or were injured after taking a toxic cough syrup distributed by the companies. The compensation amounts to 60 million rupiah ($3,850) per family. The poisoning caused acute kidney disease, leaving around 120 children with disabilities.
Suspicions about the cough syrup arose in 2022 when children fell seriously ill after taking what was believed to be normal cold medication. Following the deaths, the government banned syrup-based medicines and revoked permits for over 1,000 products. Twenty-five families filed a civil suit against the food and drug agency (BPOM), the Health Ministry, and eight pharmaceutical companies.
The Central Jakarta court found Afi Farma and CV Samudera responsible for the tragedy, ordering them to pay 50 million rupiah for deceased children and 60 million rupiah for injured children. The families had requested significantly higher amounts in compensation.
Investigations revealed that the syrup contained ethylene glycol at a concentration as high as 99 percent, exceeding the safe limit of 0.1 percent. Afi Farma officials were previously found guilty of negligence for failing to test the ingredients supplied by their supplier.
Cases of children succumbing to kidney disease after taking contaminated cough syrups were also reported in The Gambia and Uzbekistan in the same year. Afi Farma has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the matter.
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