ENB sets up medical committee

EAST New Britain provincial (ENBP) health authorities have set up a working group to address the problem of sale of medical drugs in market streets, shops and rural communities.
The group’s chairman, acting health adviser Fidelis Bola, said after chairing a maiden meeting, the sale of drugs was not only an issue in ENBP but nationwide issue.
“The indiscriminate sale of drugs is a very complex issue that needed to be addressed sensitively”.
He pointed out that the Department of Health had appointed a drug inspector to the province, under the Medicines and Cosmetic Act (2002), who would help address some of the issues which had remained unresolved the last couple of years.
“The sale of drugs is only an indicator of poor control in the overall management of drug transportation, storage and distribution within the existing systems which we are addressing,” Mr Bola said.
He said drugs ordered directly from outside the province and sold in shops were a different issue and would be addressed differently.
He added that the group would invite other stakeholders and partners to their next meeting to collectively address the problems.
Mr Bola reiterated his call to the public to abstain from buying drugs sold on the streets, markets and other public areas.
He warned that in most situations, drugs sold under these circumstances were not properly stored, outdated, did not meet the required doses and could lead to resistance.
He urged the people to seek proper diagnosis and tests for the right treatment.