Bukoba — KAGERA: KAGERA Regional Administrative Secretary (RAS), Dr Toba Nguvila has appealed to the Tanzania Medical and Drugs Authority (TMDA) to control the importation of substandard medical devices to save the lives of most Tanzanians.
He asked TMDA, the Ministry of Health (MoH), pharmacists and suppliers to ensure that expired drugs, medical devices and reagents are not sold to the people.
"You should leave your offices and make regular visits to entry points to control the importation of substandard medical devices in efforts to save the lives of most Tanzanians, "he said.
He made the remarks recently on behalf of the Kagera Regional Commissioner (RC), Ms Fatma Mwassa while opening a one-day workshop which was attended by officials under TMDA, the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Livestock Development and pharmacists from the eight councils-Muleba, Bukoba DC, Biharamulo, Ngara, Karagwe, Kyerwa, Missenyi and Bukoba MC.
"The effects of using reagents that have expired may lead to getting wrong results, especially for disease testing reagents or kits. The government will take stern measures on officials and suppliers, who defy the directives," he said.
Dr Nguvila commended the government under President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan for the efforts in improving people's lives through the construction of modern hospitals, health centres and dispensaries and equip them with decent reagents...." These efforts should be supported," he said.
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Adding...." By ensuring that health facilities are equipped to deliver comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care services, we can effectively address the fatal complications of childbirth, including severe bleeding, infection, prolonged or obstructed labor, eclampsia and asphyxia in the newborn," he said.
On his side, TMDA Zonal Manager, Dr Edgar Mahundi said that the aim of convening the workshop was to share experience and set strategies on how to identify substandard drugs, medical devices and reagents, before using them.
He urged the community to create a culture of checking information on the drugs, medical devices and reagents, before using them and when they find out that they have been changed or tampered with, then they should inform the authority.
He explained that changing labels on medicines, medical devices and reagents makes people use expired products that are hazardous to their health.
"It is a serious offense to change the information on the medical product that has reached the market because only the manufacturer has the right to change the information of the product," he emphasized.
Acting Kagera Regional Medical Officer (RMO), Dr Hassan Kawia noted that the ongoing education provided by TMDA will help healthcare workers to provide the right services using the right medical equipment.
