Indonesia has seen a spike in cases of acute kidney injury (AKI) since August, with the deaths of at least 199 people, mostly children, prompting a probe into and ban on some liquid medicine sales.

The class action lawsuit targets the Health Ministry, the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) and seven companies implicated in selling syrups containing excessive amounts of two compounds used in industrial products, such as antifreeze.

Awan Puryadi, a legal representative of the victims' relatives, told AFP they had taken action because the authorities had failed to prevent the sale of harmful medicines and the subsequent child deaths and injuries.

"No one has claimed responsibility. [The families of the victims] are very disappointed with the current situation," Puryadi said on Thursday about the lawsuit, which was filed on Nov. 18. "We demand that the [...] drug suppliers, pharmacies, the BPOM and the Health Ministry all take responsibility."

Families are seeking compensation of around Rp 2 billion (US$127,049) for every person killed and around Rp 1 billion for every person injured, the lawyer said.

Two families listed on the lawsuit were pursuing legal action on behalf of a total of 12 families, he said, adding that more could join in the future.

Police have launched an investigation into at least three companies that had their licenses to produce syrup medicines temporarily frozen. 

As of Nov. 19, authorities had named three pharmaceutical companies and a chemical distributor as suspects in cases of AKI and associated fatalities stemming from contaminated children’s medicinal syrup.

BPOM head Penny Lukito said PT Yarindo Farmatama and PT Universal Pharmaceutical Industries were under investigation and had been named suspects. She did not elaborate on the criminal charges made against the two companies. Separately, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo said PT Afi Farma and CV Samudra Chemical had also been named suspects. “These two corporations are suspected to have committed the crimes of producing medicines or distributing pharmaceutical raw materials that were not up to standards and/or safety requirements, beneficial requirements and quality,” said Dedi, as quoted by Kompas.

In West Africa, The Gambia recorded 70 child deaths in October suspected to have been caused by imported syrup medicines.

The World Health Organization has said it found an "unacceptable amount" of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol in four Indian-made cough syrups and warned they could be linked to the deaths.