NAFDAC recovers N1.3m drugs in Kogi

Johnson Babajide, Lokoja - 04.02.2008

KOGI State head of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mr. Okwori John, has said that the agency had recovered some drugs worth N1.37 million supplied to the Ministry of Health to be supplied freely to patients from market in the state.

John, who disclosed this at the weekend in Lokoja while handing over the retrieved Vitamin A capsules, Coartem and Mectizan tablets to the Ministry of Health, said that the drugs were provided by UNICEF and to be given free to children and target adults.

The state head of the agency lamented the diversion of the drugs to private pharmaceutical shops and clinics, adding that the country, between 1999 and 2006, received 1,044,654 bottles of the high dose Vitamin 'A' capsules from UNICEF out of which 525,721 bottles were accounted for.

This ugly trend, according to John, was worrisome, saying that most vulnerable group (children) were at the receiving end since the drugs were not getting to them.

John further said that his men, in conjunction with UNICEF, carried out surveillance in 20 local government areas of the state, and found the products in five pharmacy shops, six patient medicine stores and two eye clinics.

He requested from the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Fred Achem, to give approval to the agency to look into the distribution and return records of the officer in charge in the ministry to ascertain the source of diversion.

John said that beginning from this year, any erring officer or pharmacy shops found selling such products would be prosecuted. The commissioner for health, while commending the agency for its efforts at eliminating fake drugs in the country, granted the request and promised that the ministry would cooperate with the agency in its campaign.