After linking the deaths of babies to a medicinal syrup, the government had to send samples to France and Switzerland to ascertain the safety of such products. The findings showed that the drugs were inimical to safety, which led to international outcry which compelled the government to see the need to establish a laboratory to facilitate the testing of drugs before use. The government further overreacted by effecting an embargo on all drugs in transit with a view to subjecting them to test without establishing the affordability and accessibility of the facility that could conduct universal testing.
The temperature required for the testing was disregarded thus leaving importers of pharmaceutical products raising the alarm of the danger of the destruction of the drugs and the shortages that may follow.
Foroyaa has counseled the minister to carefully move on a tight rope of drug safety and availability and avoid the evils of drug scarcity and lack of safety.
The reliable and sustainable way to avoid millions being spent outside the country for the testing of drugs only to increase the cost accrued by the patients is to have a laboratory of our own.
The Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs told members of the National Assembly that the World Bank is ready to finance the establishment of a laboratory. Foroyaa will find out developments on this issue.
