Fentanyl Scandal Row: Nearly 96 people are believed to have died after being administered fentanyl tainted with harmful bacteria in Argentina as the country reels from a horrific medical scandal, according to a report published by The Guardian on Thursday. The official death count has climbed to at 87 fatalities, while a judicial official told the Buenos Aires Herald that nine more deaths are still under investigation.
Horror in the Hospitals
Recounting the ordeal, friends and families of the deceased described the harrowing experiences of watching their loved ones hospitalised for unrelated issues allegedly receiving fentanyl for pain relief or sedation, only for them to eventually succumb to multidrug-resistant infections.
“The fentanyl caused their death within days,” an Argentine whose 32-year-old brother lost his life, told the media network. Another family member reportedly said, “He began to improve … on the third day, they discovered he had pneumonia. … Seven days later, he died.”
Source Traced to Pharma Company
Tests by Argentina’s drug regulator Anmat revealed contamination in both the patients and fentanyl ampoules from HLB Pharma’s Laboratorio Ramallo, the report said. Bacteria identified –Klebsiella pneumoniae and Ralstonia pickettii — are notorious for antibiotic resistance. A “widely circulated” batch is at the center of the probe, which is being led by Federal Judge Ernesto Kreplak.
Meanwhile, HLB Pharma owner Ariel García Furfaro ahs denied the product’s culpability, while claiming that his company removed it from circulation, and suggesting that the contaminant was “planted.”
Recall and Legal Moves
Local authorities have estimated that over 300,000 ampoules were distributed across Argentine provinces including Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Córdoba and Formosa. According to the report, about 45,000 of those were administered before the remainder were recalled and seized.
“Argentina has never experienced such a serious case. It is unprecedented,” Adriana Francese, a lawyer representing the victim families, told the publication.
While the contaminated ampoules are no longer in circulation, reports of deaths continue to emerge as more cases are being assessed. The court has reportedly named 24 individuals involved in production and distribution as suspects, and they are now banned from leaving the country after having had their assets frozen.
“This is going to be very important to determine responsibility,” Francese told The Guardian, while adding that investigators are scrutinising manufacturing and quality-control systems.
Fentanyl: Powerful but Risky
Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid — believed to be 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine — that can offer powerful pain relief but becomes fatal if compromised.
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