The scandal was uncovered in 2022, when a large number of children suddenly suffered from acute kidney damage after taking cough medicine.
The preparations, which were sold over-the-counter, contained high levels of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol.
About ten families of the victims sued the government, the health authority, and the companies behind the medicine. On Thursday, a court in Jakarta ruled that the companies must pay 50 million rupiah (approximately 32,000 kronor) per death and 60 million rupiah (nearly 39,000 kronor) per injured person – significantly less than the relatives had demanded.
It's sad to see the verdict. The compensation is so much lower, says Nedy Amardianto, whose ten-month-old daughter Aisha died of acute kidney failure.
The loss of a child cannot be replaced with money. But we had hoped that the judge would be on our side.
The relatives also express disappointment that the court did not address the state's responsibility in the matter.
Last year, four people, a manager and three employees of one of the two companies, were sentenced to prison for not having tested their products properly.
In Uzbekistan and Gambia, and likely in more countries, a large number of children died due to contaminated cough medicine in 2022, according to the World Health Organization.
