Sevara Ubaydullayeva, chief of the Department of Maternal and Child Health of the Ministry of Health, at a press briefing on Thursday explained the reasons for the sacking of seven medical workers, including the chief physician of the children's multidisciplinary medical center in the Samarkand province, Professor Mamatkul Azizov.

Mamatkul Azizov, in his letter dated December 15, informed the provincial Health Department about the death of children after taking the Doc-1 Max syrup produced by the Indian Marion Biotech. In it, he said that over the past two months, 21 patients were admitted with complaints of complications after taking the drug, of which 15 died (as of December 30, the number of officially registered victims reached 19).

“A working group was created in Samarkand, with probe launched. The probe found that these workers made a number of shortcomings in their work, and therefore were fired. The conclusion of the working group was handed over to law enforcement agencies. It should be noted that information about this case was received by the provincial health department with a great delay. For this reason, the relevant measures specified in the legislation were taken,” said Sevara Ubaydullayeva.

Since December 22, the sale of the drug Doc-1 Max has been temporarily suspended in Uzbekistan, and starting from December 30 - all Marion Biotech products.

Children's Ombudsman Aliya Yunusova reported the death of 18 children from Jizzakh, Kashkadarya, Navoi and Samarkand provinces. Later, another child died in Kashkadarya after taking the syrup.

The Minister of Health, Bekhzod Musaev, said that information about the death of children after taking Doc-1 Max syrup was hidden from the ministry.

The State Security Service announced the initiation of a criminal case and the detention of officials of the importing company Quramax Medical and the Scientific Center for Standardization of Medicines.