Jail awaits unscrupulous pharmacists

President Yahya Jammeh has revealed that jail awaits those who may in one way or the other found guilty of selling his new medicines, which are not available in private pharmacies in the country.

The Gambian leader made these revelations in Kanilai during the handing over ceremony of newly donated drugs to SoS Dr Tamsir Mbowe.

He said: “I received some medicines or drugs that were donated to The Gambia, through our Gambian Embassy, in Washington DC, by the Catholic Medical Mission Board of New York. One particular person donated these drugs to The Gambia and because of the shipment cost I want to find out whether we will be able to ship it to The Gambia. I then instructed the Gambian Embassy to collect them, while I paid for the shipment. Hence, these are very expensive medications and to put them in a container, we need to check what effect it will have on the medicines. And because these are very expensive medications, I decided that I paid for it to be air-ferried to The Gambia”. 

“We received it last week Friday, to be precise. I am just handing them to the SoS for Health and Social Welfare, on behalf of the donor, because this is a good gesture to The Gambia. I really want to thank the Americans who donated these expensive medications. Of course, I am not a Western Medical Doctor, so Dr Mbowe will dilate on what these medications are meant for, but what is most important is that it’s done by an American philanthropist, on behalf of the Catholic Medical Mission Board and we are very grateful to these people who donated these medicines,” the President said. 

President Jammeh added that the medicines are very useful to all people, especially the old age, who might have suffered from anti-binine prostrate hyperplasia; and also good for those people who have hypertension.

President Jammeh pointed out that “these are the type of people we need in the world, who care for other people. This particular personality is a good friend to The Gambia, because it is only your true friend that cares about your health. Without health there cannot be improvement. This is very important and a good gesture. This person is an individual who read a lot about The Gambia and decided to make this donation”. 

“The fact that medical care is a priority for my government, he decided that he wants to help in this very big way. If we are to sell these medicines, it’s a lot of money. So, one good thing is that I don’t think there is any pharmacist that has it. So, it is better you warn your people that, if these medicines are found in any private pharmacies that person is going to jail,” he warned.

Dr Mbowe, SoS for Health and Social Welfare said “it is indeed once again great pleasure, happiness and joy, on behalf of the entire medical family and his own behalf, to express his sincere thanks and gratitude to President Jammeh, “through him and the Catholic Mission Board for the donation of these medical drugs”. 

SoS Mbowe also noted that “these are very expensive drugs because when you look through these drugs, you will see anti-hypertensive, the ACE inhibitors, anti-prostentic hyperplasia drugs, anti-parkinson diseases drugs, pain-killer and also anti-artraities drugs and drugs for old and elderly persons, who cannot swallow these medical drugs”.  He said health is not everything, but without health nothing can really take place, adding that a nation must be healthy. 

Dr Mbowe, said this is not the first time and it is a continuous process for the welfare of Gambian people.  He finally assured President Jammeh that the drugs will be distributed countrywide and will be given to the needy patients.