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Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria protest FG’s plan to import Madagascar COVID19 syrup, Says ‘its thoroughly disgraceful’

This is thoroughly disgraceful- Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria protest FG

The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria has kicked against plans by the
Federal government to import the COVID-19 syrup being produced in
Madagascar for the treatment of patients with the viral disease here in
Nigeria.

President Buhari has given a directive for the importation of the herbal syrup.

In a statement released by its president, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa today
May 12, the umbrella body of Nigerian pharmacists said it received with
utter disbelief the news of the planned importation of the herbal
syrup.

Ohuabunwa said the society is shocked that the Federal government can
move swiftly to collect such syrup from an African country that boasts
of fewer scientists when they have consistently ignored calls to carry
out a clinical evaluation for the drugs some Nigerian pharmacists claim
they have developed as a cure for the ravaging viral disease.

The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has received the news
that the Federal Government of Nigeria is about to import a herbal
concoction called COVID Organics (CVO) from Madagascar with utter
disbelief.

While in principle we would not mind Nigerian government importing 
any new drug that is proven to cure COVID-19 or indeed any other disease
for which we have neither the capacity, nor the technology to produce
locally, we are totally appalled that Nigeria is about to spend scarce
foreign exchange to import ‘COAL INTO NEWCASTLE’.

Even if we are not going to pay for this, it is thoroughly
disgraceful that a country that should be the leader of Africa, with the
largest GDP will allow itself to be dragged this low. Nigeria has about
174 Universi-ties (43 Federal, 52 State and 79 private), 20 Faculties
of Pharmacy and about 69 Federal-Funded Research In-stitutes (including
National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research & Development and the
National Institute for Medical Research) while Madagascar has only 6
Universities, 1 Faculty of Pharmacy and 9 Research Centers!!!  Nigeria
has some of the best scientists (Pharmaceutical, Medical, Biochemical,
Biological etc.) in the world who have done so much work on natural and
herbal medicines.

Nigeria has developed a pharmacopeia of natural and herbal products
and has one of the richest flora and fauna – potent sources of
phytomedicines.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19, a number of them have raised
their voices that they have herbal and natural products that can be used
to treat or manage COVID-19. Some have patents. Many herbal companies
and producers have an-nounced specifically that they have herbal
formulations that can do what this ‘invention’ from Madagascar can do. 

We have raised our voices severally that the Federal Government
should review these claims and help put them through clinical evaluation
as most of these producers cannot afford to conduct clinical trials. We
have recom-mended that a portion of the nearly 25 Billion Naira
donated/allocated for the COVID-19 pandemic should be dedicated for
local research and development. But our Government has remained
essentially silent only waiting to participate in WHO sponsored or
mandated trials.

We have been told that Nigeria is participating in the WHO solidarity
trial, but nothing on trying our own inventions and formulations.  Now
we want to import COVID Organics. from Madagascar to try? Why are we
like this? If the world can supply us synthetic and
chemically-sophisticated medicines which we apparently lack the
technology to produce, why must we wait for the World to supply us
herbal formulations which we can easily make and which we have similar
products.”

Ohabunwa appealed to the Federal government to save the
pharmaceutical scientists in Nigeria the shame of importing herbs that
Nigeria boasts of in abundance

 We urge our Government to save Nigerian Pharmaceutical Scientists
and other scientists from the shame of having our country import and try
herbal remedies which God has given us in abundance and some of which
our grandfathers and grandmothers have used for ages. Let us try our own
local formulations before we try COVID Organics or any other imported
remedy.

Every well-meaning nation has been in a race to find cures, remedies
and other medical supplies used for COVID-19, while we seem to wait for
other nations to solve our problems. There is much talk but little
action. This dependency mentality needs to change and now is the time.
We must seize this opportunity to look inwards, build confidence on our
abilities, competences and re-orientate our na-tional economic
philosophy from import dependency to export driven. And Nigeria can beat
India and China in the production and export of herbal products if
anyone is willing to lead us down this part. 

This is thoroughly disgraceful- Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria protest FG

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