FOUNDATIONS 8 WHEN FAKE IS FINE Part 2 In Part one of my column I mentioned that we are a crooked businessmans dream clientele. Our love for fake, or at least our nonchalant attitude towards counterfeit, places us squarely and firmly in the target zone of those who would go to any lengths to make a fast buck by any means necessary. My examples of recent NEWS items including butane, 4G and related technology, fake Nike and other clothing, appeared to be quite palatable. But the one that got some ire was the fish fillet. Regardless of the fact that cobia, and catto (Kyato) are edible, Belizeans purchased, cooked and ate them on the premise that they were eating snapper and grouper. Sure, snook tastes nice, but not when you buy it as fillet snapper; thats deception. And deception is sin. DNA testing is the most accurate way of determining paternity; and identifying any specie, better than any taste test from a food connoisseur. The news report was taken so seriously by Galen University that they began teaching a class on DNA testing to continue further testing. And my list could have been much longer; fake Colgate, Fake energizer batteries, even Fake Pampers. These and more could help validate my claims that, indeed, In Belize, FAKE is on main street. It is found in plain view, parading as real. But I do want to get back to Fake Medications in Belize, because this one could be a killer. The Pharmacists’ Association of Belize levelled a whopping accusation against the Ministry of Health stating that “Belize is plagued with a myriad of issues related to the quality of pharmaceuticals such as counterfeit medications ... and the importation of sub-standard pharmaceuticals.” Counterfeit medications are both in the private and public health sectors. Much of it can be found in the commercial free zones where people can buy prescription medication over the counter. Dr. Francis Smith, a seasoned medical specialist, came forward to state his own experience regarding the dangers of counterfeit medication after prescribing Traumadol to an elderly nun and a member of his staff. “I was most distraught... It produced some very serious side effects that included nausea, vomiting, palpitations and diarrhoea. Obviously, these people doubted about my care and I doubted myself. I stopped for some time, prescribing this medication, only to notice that American tourists visiting, would ask me for a prescription and I was asking them if they were having similar effects. It was their response that made him realize that the brand imported into Belize was the real problem. What is needed to ensure a safe supply of medications? Step one is to move the tendering system beyond political interference. Step two is to have a professionally trained inspectorate which carries out random tests of all pharmaceuticals. Also, there must be collaboration with international agencies to safeguard the Belize Pharmaceuticals. Tendering is the process by which public companies bid to provide medical supplies for the Public Health system from its multimillion dollar pharmaceutical budget. It must be free of political or business manipulation and should be comprised exclusively of health professionals. And it appears that at one time, it was, but somehow we have regressed. Former Minister of Health, Vildo Marin, says during his tenure, The Chief Pharmacist was involved in the entire process. No one was involved at the political level to make a decision as to what kind of medication and from who they were going to purchase it. It was very transparent and accountable”. Regression in the quality of Belizes medical supplies is regrettable, to say the least. According to former CEO in the Ministry of Health, Henry Anderson, by 2003 a clearly defined system was in place as a part of the Public Sector Health Reform to ensure the safety of Belize’s pharmaceuticals. He stated “There is a system in black and white that was developed... the Maximum Price Contract System. The tender is sent out and the listed prices paid the previous year for each of those items. So, somebody who wants to bid, would know what it was bought for. There was a big committee headed by the Chief Pharmacist, you had Chief Specialist for each key area. It was a huge committee of about 20 people so collusion in something like that was next to impossible. Government invested over 20 million dollars of IDB and CDB funds to improving the system. There was national consensus through subsequent UDP and PUP administrations. But a few years ago the Chief Pharmacist, who headed the tendering process for the acquisition of medicines for the public health system, was removed. Why was the Tendering System truncated? And why? Fake medications in the Governments Public health system is a FACT. Neurologist, Dr. John Sosa,is the President of the Belize Medical and Dental Union and works at the KHMH. He told PlusNews that it is imperative that an independent committee be formed to investigate the sources of generic medicines sold to GOB. He also said that the Ministry of Health needs to adequately test its medicine supply and forward this information to doctors and pharmacists and not hide it to protect certain providers who are politically connected and selling junk to GOB.” It is time to stop covering for fake medications. It is time for the Ministry of Health to get it right. Fake tennis and purse da wah bad thing, but fake medication? Well, dat jus deadly! (end)
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 21:52:48 +0000
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