Sixteen babies between the ages of four days and three months were poisoned from high doses of Luminal and are being treated at the National Centre for Maternal and Children's Health (NCMCH).

A pharmacist at the Ekh Nyalkhas branch of Monos pharmacies distributed high dosages of Luminal for the infants last Friday. Currently, 14 poisoned babies are being treated at the National Centre for Maternal and Children`s Health, and two are in critical condition and being treated in intensive care.

Medical specialists from the National Centre for Maternal and Children's Health commented on the incident, saying that high dosages of Luminal is poisonous to infants. The impact from such poisoning is dangerous. They say that even after the poisonous dose is expelled, a baby is still at risk to lung and kidney disorders.

The mother of a 20-month-old baby asked for help from her family physician, as her baby had yellowish eyes and skin. The mother bought Luminal Phenobarbital, as her family doctor had suggested, but the pharmacist at Monos, the nation's largest pharmaceutical chain, provided an adult dose of Luminal, 200 mg instead of a children's dose of 5-10 mg.

The mothers of the poisoned babies reported that the excess dose of Luminal caused dizziness, difficulty in breathing, and decreased appetite.