Cases of Acute Kidney Failure as of October 24: 245 Cases, 141 People Died

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin and Head of the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) Penny Kusumastuti Lukito delivered a press conference at the Bogor Presidential Palace (ANTARA/Desca Lidya Natalia)

BOGOR - Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin said there have been 245 cases of atypical progressive acute kidney disease (AKI) in 26 provinces in Indonesia with a mortality rate of 57.6 percent.

"As of today, there are a total of 245 cases in 26 provinces. Eight provinces that contributed to 80 percent of cases were DKI Jakarta, West Java, Aceh, East Java, West Sumatra, Bali, Banten and North Sumatra. The 'fatality rate' or the number of those who died is quite high, at 141 or 57.6 percent", said Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin at the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, as reported by ANTARA, Monday, October 24.

"The number of these cases actually started to rise in August (2022), so before August the normal death rate from year to year was small, below 5", continued Budi.

But by August 2022 the death toll began to rise to 36. In September 2022 it rose again to 78 cases, in October 2022 it reached 114 cases and mostly attacked children under the age of 5 years.

"The results of our discussions with WHO and the Government of Gambia, found a drug called 'Fomepizole'. We have received 20 vials from Singapore, we are waiting for maybe another 16 vials from Australia, maybe tonight or tomorrow morning", added Budi.

Furthermore, the government also plans to import the drug "Fomepizole" from the United States and from Japan about 2 thousand vials.

"Of the 10 drugs that have arrived, we have tried it on patients, 7 of them are improving. So the patient usually has a kidney problem, he can't urinate, he can't pass urine, but as soon as the medicine is given, they start to come out little by little", said Budi.

Because the drug "Fomepizole" was successful for 7 out of 10 patients, the Minister of Health concluded that the drug had a positive effect.

"We will speed up the arrival to Indonesia so that 245 (vials) enter and maybe we can treat it a little bit more", added Minister of Health Budi.

It is known that the cause of acute kidney disorders is due to pathogens that contaminate syrup drugs named Ethylene glycol (EG), Diethylene Glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol butyl ether (EGBE).

BPOM has announced five syrup medicinal products in Indonesia that contain Ethylene Glycol (EG) contamination that exceeds the safe threshold, namely Termorex Syrup (fever medicine), produced by PT Konimex; Flurine DMP Syrup (cough and flu medicine), produced by PT Yarindo Farmatama; Unibebi Cough Syrup (cough and flu medicine), produced by Universal Pharmaceutical Industries; Unibebi Fever Syrup (fever medicine), produced by Universal Pharmaceutical Industries; and Unibebi Fever Drops (fever medicine), produced by Universal Pharmaceutical Industries.

BPOM also ordered the pharmaceutical industry with distribution permits to withdraw drug syrup from circulation throughout Indonesia and destroy all product batches.

The withdrawal covers all outlets, including pharmaceutical wholesalers, government pharmacy installations, pharmacies, hospital pharmacy installations, health centers, clinics, drug stores, and independent practice of health workers.