By Cecilia E.L. Mendy
The High Court in Banjul on Wednesday heard testimony from Dr. Mustapha Bittaye in the ongoing Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) case involving the deaths of children allegedly linked to contaminated cough syrups.
Justice Ebrima Jaiteh presided over the proceedings, with the state represented by Counsel J.O. Okete. Counsel S.M. Tambadou and Counsel L. Farage appeared for the second defendant, Atlantic Pharmaceutical Company, and the plaintiffs, respectively.
Dr. Bittaye, Chief Medical Director at Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH) and the third defendant witness (DW3), detailed his professional observations regarding the outbreak. He said his witness statement, submitted last year, constituted key evidence in the case.
The AKI outbreak was allegedly linked to four cough syrups—Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makeup Baby Cough Syrup, and Magrip N. Cold Syrup—manufactured in India and imported by Atlantic Pharmaceutical Company.
During cross-examination, Dr. Bittaye stated that he has been in the medical field since 2006. He admitted he could not provide exact numbers of AKI cases or confirm whether the outbreak was formally reported. He noted that the incidents occurred amid widespread flooding between June and October 2022, which may have contributed to diarrheal contamination in the water supply.
Dr. Bittaye confirmed that government teams, including the President and the Minister of Health, were involved in investigating the outbreak. Laboratory tests conducted in Senegal and Ghana detected bacteria linked to AKI. He noted that not all implicated syrups contained paracetamol, though some may have contributed to the outbreak.
Regarding affected families, Dr. Bittaye explained that a government task force conducted the identification process. He also highlighted challenges faced by the health sector, including limited human resources, equipment shortages, and the absence of certain local laboratory capacities, which hampered the response. By November 2022, the death toll had risen from 27 to 83 children.
Dr. Bittaye further emphasized that only two autopsy reports were conducted out of seventy deaths, highlighting limitations in conclusively determining causes of death. He added that the government responded promptly, though clinical trials faced internal resistance.
The case was adjourned to February 26, 2026, for continued proceedings, with Dr. Bittaye expected to face further cross-examination on documents submitted to the court.
