The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has urged all drug regulating agencies, including the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), to ensure that only authentic and effective drugs are applied in managing the pandemic coronavirus.
He gave the charge in commemoration of the International Drug Checking Day, marked every March 31.
The Governor noted the need for relevant government agencies to intensity efforts at protecting citizens from fake and substandard drugs, which litter the market, since there is no cure for the new virus.
Obaseki said it is imperative to educate people on drugs and their effects, as we join the rest of the world in marking the International Drug Checking Day.
The Governor observes with displeasure, that some unscrupulous elements have flooded the markets with fake drugs, even as medical experts and scientists battle to produce the right drugs remedy this public health problem.
Condemning the indiscriminate consumption of chloroquine, the governor said the state government would work with the State Ministry of Health (SMoH), Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and pharmaceutical associations to immediately swing into action to reach patent medicine stores to regulate the sale of chloroquine and other medicines.
Governor Obaseki noted that sensitization and knowledge sharing will further empower more Nigerians to make informed decisions about their health and safety.
Daniel Ejodamen
(FIC, Benin City)
