LASG Shuts 19 Medical Facilities In Alimosho Over Malpractices

By Akinwale Kasali

The Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo Olu led administration in Lagos State has shut 19 Medical Facilities  in Alimosho Local Government Area of the State over alleged malpractices

The LGA is the most populous among the 20 LGAs and 30 Local Council Development Areas.

The state government through its Taskforce on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods shut the said Medical Facilities around Igando-Ikotun for non-compliance to regulatory standards.

Prof. Akin Abayomi, the State Commissioner for Health, made this disclosure after reviewing report of the recent enforcement exercise carried out by the Taskforce, explaining that the affected medical facilities were sealed for various offences including; display of drugs for sales in unregistered and unlicensed shops by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN); inappropriate storage conditions of drugs; handling and dispensing drugs by unskilled persons and the sales of drugs outside the approved scope.

He noted that the operation of the Taskforce is part of the state government war against fake drugs and illegal drug shops.

Abayomi stressed that monitoring and enforcement activities of the Taskforce has been rejigged to ensure that the provisions of the law on the operation of pharmacies and patent medicine shops is strictly adhered to, in order to safeguard the health of the citizenry.

Similarly, Director Pharmaceutical Services in the Ministry of Health, Oyebisi Omolambe, said that the state government will not relent in its efforts to stop the inherent dangers associated with the operations from unlicensed pharmaceutical outlets and drug shops.

“This closure is thus part of the Government’s renewed efforts to sanitize the drug distribution system and curb proliferation of fake drugs in the State” Omolambe said.

The enforcement and compliance raid by the State Taskforce on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods was carried out in collaboration with the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Pharmacists’ Council of Nigeria (PCN), Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), the Legal Unit of the Ministry of Health and the Police Officers from Environmental and Special Offences Unit (Task Force) of Lagos Police Command.