JAKARTA, Aug 23, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - A court in Indonesia has ordered two
companies to pay thousands of dollars in compensation to the families of more
than 200 children who were killed or injured by tainted cough syrups.

The Southeast Asian country registered in 2022 a spike of child deaths and
injuries linked to the syrups.

More than a dozen families of victims sued the government, health ministry
and companies accused of supplying the products, demanding nearly $200,000 in
damages for each death and $150,000 for those injured.

In a ruling late Thursday, the Central Jakarta district court ordered the
local firms to pay a substantially lower fee of $3,200 for each death and
$3,800 for each injury.

"It's saddening to see the ruling. The compensation is so much lower," said
Nedy Amardianto, who lost his 10-month-old daughter Aisha to acute kidney
injury.

"The loss of a child cannot be replaced with money. But we had hope the judge
would take our side."

The father and a lawyer representing the families expressed disappointment
the court made no statement about any alleged wrongdoing by the country's
health ministry and drug regulator, both included in the lawsuit.

"It is deeply disappointing for the victims' families. What we are demanding
is accountability from the Ministry of Health and the Food and Drug
Monitoring Agency," said lawyer Siti Habiba.

A health ministry spokeswoman said it had to review the decision. The drug
regulator did not respond to an AFP comment request.

The father and lawyer said the sanctioned firms were supplier CV Samudera
Chemical and cough syrup producer Afi Farma.

The former distributed ethylene glycol, a compound used in industrial
products such as antifreeze.

Afi Farma's chief executive and three employees were jailed last year over
accusations they did not properly test their products.

The firms were listed in the ruling as "defendant 1" and "defendant 3".