DILI, 26 outubro 2022 (TATOLI) — The Ministry of Health has identified a private pharmacy in Dili selling banned cough syrup “Termorex and UNI Baby”, said the National Director of Pharmacy and Medicine, Delfim Ferreira.
He said the banned cough syrup “Termorex and UNI Baby” were imported from Indonesia, where children under five years of age are banned from taking these medicines.
On october 19, the Indonesian Food and Drug Control Agency (BPOM) banned the use of Termorex and UNI Baby.
“We have identified in our Medicines Registration and Listing System, a private pharmaceutical company is selling Termorex and UNI baby cough syrups,” Ferreira told Tatoli.
He added authorities had prepared a notification letter to request the company to stop selling the medicines.
Ferreira said Indonesian health authorities have already notified all private hospitals to halt the distribution of all syrups to children under 5.
Health Minister Odete Maria Freitas Belo also informed that the ministry would carry out a joint inspection of all private pharmacies in Dili.
“National Directorate of Pharmacy and Drugs had identified the banned cough syrups in our Medicines Registration and Listing System. Therefore, the company has to stop selling the medicines,” she said.
Last week, Indonesian health authorities banned five brands of syrup medicines for containing chemicals above the safe limit.
The consumption of liquid medicines may have contributed to kidney failure among children.
The Food and Drugs Supervisory Agency (BPOM) said the five syrup drugs contained ethylene glycol (EG) and diethylene glycol (DEG) at a level unsafe for humans.
The five brands include:
1. fever syrup Termorex Sirup manufactured by Konimex
2. cough syrup Flurin DMP Sirup manufactured by Yarindo Farmatama
3. cough syrup Unibebi Cough Sirup manufactured by Universal Pharmaceutical Industries
4. fever syrup Unibebi Demam Sirup manufactured by Universal Pharmaceutical Industries
5. fever syrup Unibebi Demam Drops manufactured by Universal Pharmaceutical Industries
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
