MBABANE:Mudipang Mbinga,the Quality Control and Post-Market Surveillance Pharmacist in the Ministry of Health,has written a minute directed to all public health facilities, withdrawing the Folic acid BP 5mg following the appearance of black spots on the surface of the tablets.
In the minute or document in possession of this Swaziland News, the Quality Control Officer said,the black spots were identified while the medication was kept in the manufacturer’s requested storage condition.
But sources within the Ministry of Health who leaked the document to this journalist alleged that,Government has been distributing expired medication to members of the public to diffuse pressure amid shortage of drugs or medication in public hospitals thus exposing patients to serious danger.
“Eswatini Medicines and Regulatory Unit is recalling Folic and tablets BP 5mg following the appearance of black spots on the surface of the tablets while being kept in the manufacturer’s requested storage condition.The incident was reported to the Eswatini Medicines and Regulatory Unit by one health facility. As the black spots were found to be not part of the normal description of the product,it has been determined to be necessary to stop with immediate effect the dispensing of this product and institute it’s recall from health facilities”, reads the minute in part.
Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo declined to comment about the matter.
Mayibongwe Masangwane,the Secretary General of the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union(SWADNU) referred comments to his Deputy Saneliso Mavuso who was unfortunately not available for a comment.
Reached for comments by this Swaziland News,Lucky Dlamini,the Chairperson of the Swaziland United Democratic Front(SUDF) said,it was surprising to note that,a whole country with systems in place to detect such, could fail to identify a medication that “is not suitable” for public consumption.
“It’s surprising that the public could be made to consume wrong medication when the country has systems in place to detect such. This means if this country was democratic with an independent judiciary,Government would be flooded with lawsuits as per this document because providing wrong medication to a patient amounts to attempted murder,the patients who consumed this medication might die”, said the SUDF Chairperson.
Eswatini is facing a health crisis amid Government failure to provide drugs in public hospitals, the crisis was triggered by rampant corruption in the public administration.
A minute written by the Quality Surveillance Officer in the Ministry of Health.