Polri Raises the Status of Acute Kidney Failure Case to Investigation Phase

Dream - The Indonesian National Police (Polri) has conducted an investigation into a case of acute kidney failure that resulted in the deaths of 159 children, allegedly involving three pharmaceutical companies. As a result, Polri has raised the status of PT Afi Farma Pharmaceutical Industries (Afifarma) from investigation to criminal investigation.

"The investigators from the Bareskrim and BPOM have agreed to elevate the case from investigation to criminal investigation against PT Afi Farma," said Brigadier General Pol Pipit Rismanto, the Director of the Criminal Investigation Agency (Dirtipideksus) of Bareskrim, as quoted from merdeka.com on Tuesday, November 1, 2022.

According to Pipit, the criminal investigation of PT Afi Pharma will focus on the production of drugs that contain ethylene glycol (EG) contamination exceeding the threshold, namely paracetamol drops and syrups.

"The suspected company produces pharmaceutical preparations of paracetamol syrup (generic medicine) that contain EG exceeding the threshold, namely 236.39 mg (which should be 0.1 mg) after being tested in the laboratory by BPOM," he said.

As for the other two pharmaceutical companies, Pipit stated that Polri will await reports from BPOM. "The plan is for BPOM to conduct the investigation themselves," he said.

Previously, three pharmaceutical industries, namely PT Afi Farma, PT Yarindo Pharmatama, and PT Universal Pharmaceutical Industries (Unipharma), were reported by BPOM to Bareskrim. All three are drug manufacturers suspected of causing acute kidney failure in children.

"There are three. Actually, there are three, for now, because we base it on the drugs or products and who produces them," said Pipit on Monday, October 31, 2022.