By Mariama Marong
The acting executive director of The Gambia’s Medicines Control Agency (MCA) on Wednesday questioned the widely held belief that the deaths of dozens of children from acute kidney injury (AKI) were solely caused by imported contaminated cough syrups manufactured by India’s Maiden Pharmaceuticals.
Ensa Marena, testifying under cross-examination in a high-profile civil case, told the court that he did not believe the medications alone were responsible for all of the reported fatalities. His testimony puts into question a core argument of the plaintiffs — grieving parents seeking accountability for the deaths of their children, who allegedly consumed toxic syrups that were imported and distributed in The Gambia.
“I don’t believe that medication caused the death of all the children,” Mr. Marena told the court. “Some children suffered and died from AKI before the said medication was even imported into the country.”
At the centre of the lawsuit are four syrup-based medicines: Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup, and Magrip N Cold Syrup. All were produced in India by Maiden Pharmaceuticals and imported into The Gambia by Atlantic Pharmaceutical Company Ltd, named the second defendant in the suit.
The court proceedings follow a tragic health crisis that erupted in 2022, when dozens of children died after suffering symptoms consistent with acute kidney injury. The World Health Organisation later issued a global alert warning that the implicated medicines contained “unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol,” toxic substances used in industrial solvents and antifreeze.
Plaintiffs’ lead counsel, Lawyer L. Farage, pressed Mr. Marena on whether he was aware that the deaths were linked to the consumption of the four imported syrups. She also accused the MCA of failing in its regulatory duties, including approving and registering unsafe medicines without proper scrutiny.
“The failure of the Medicines Control Agency to effectively regulate and oversee the quality of medicines and related products imported into The Gambia has led to the death of these children — and likely many more unrecorded,” Farage charged during cross-examination.
But Mr. Marena insisted that the MCA had followed its statutory responsibilities. “As an institution, we followed all procedures and regulations to ensure that medications met the required standards,” he said.
He also disputed claims that the MCA failed to prescribe and enforce quality standards. “Both the certificate of analysis and the certificate of quality were signed. They met the requirements,” he said, adding that the agency had verified all necessary documentation before approving Atlantic Pharmaceutical Company’s application to import the products.
Mr. Marena emphasised that while the deaths were tragic, other potential causes of acute kidney injury in children had not been conclusively ruled out. “There are several things that might make a child’s kidneys suddenly stop working, including infections, disruption of blood flow, surgery, or exposure to other toxic substances,” he told the court.
The MCA was established under the Medicines and Related Products Act of 2014 with a mandate to regulate the manufacture, importation, distribution, and use of medicines and related products to ensure their safety, efficacy, and quality.
The plaintiffs’ legal team includes Counsels Loubuna Farage, Yassin Senghore, and A. Njie. The State is represented by M.D Mballow.
The matter has been adjourned to July 3, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., for the continuation of the cross-examination of the second defence witness.
