NAFDAC seizes UNICEF drugs from pharmaceutical shops

Officials of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control in Ondo State have confiscated some drugs from a number of pharmaceutical shops.
The drugs were donated to the Federal Government by the United Nations Children�s Fund to curb high infant and maternal mortality rates in the country.
The Head of NAFDAC�s state office, Mr. Debo Agbejimi, on Friday led some officials of the agency to seal off three drugs stores where the medications were being sold in Akure, the state capital. Agbejimi said that some category of Vitamin A, Coartem, Mertizan and Oral Dehydration Therapy, which were seen in the pharmaceutical stores, were stolen from various government hospitals in the country.
According to him some dubious persons, who stole the drugs from government hospitals, offered them for sale whereas they were supposed to be dispensed free of charge.
He added that the actions of the unscrupulous persons had contributed to the high infant deaths in the country, despite the efforts of UNICEF and the Federal Government to drastically bring down the mortality rate.
The officials of the agency inspected stores and hair dressing salons in Akure, Ondo, Owo, Ore and Okitipupa for three days before the stolen drugs were discovered in some of them.
According to him, about 50 stores were thoroughly searched by NAFDAC�s inspecting teams for these drugs and food supplements. He stated that NAFDAC officials would trace the drugs to all those who were involved in stealing them from various government hospitals.
He vowed that the agency would close down any store where UINCEF drugs or fake products were being sold. Two of the owners of the sealed stores told our correspondent that they bought the drugs from a famous drug store in Akure, explaining that they were not aware that they were stolen from government hospitals.
However, the owner of one of the stores where the drugs were allegedly bought, fled before the arrival of NAFDAC officials. The drug store was sealed off and a message was left for the owner to report to NAFDAC�s office.

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