The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has urged the Federal Government to issue directives to the customs services to grant expedited clearance of health care and pharmaceutical products at the ports to mitigate shortage of essential drugs in this critical time.
The society, which noted that batches of shipments of pharmaceutical products are lying idle at the ports, also requested that all duties and levies on essential pharmaceuticals and healthcare equipment be suspended for the next three months for sustainable supply and pricing stability at this period of global health emergency.
President of the society, Mr. Sam Ohuabunwa, who made the disclosure in Lagos, also applauded the CBN for its N100 billion loan package to the health sector with focus on the local manufacturing.
On the clearance of the pharmaceutical products at the ports, Ohuabunwa it became necessary due to shortage of medicals, protective, pharmaceutical and surgical equipment needed to manage the Covid 19 pan- demic. Since the Federal Government seems interested in seeing there is no shortage of healthcare and pharmaceutical equipment, he said the society has urged government to give directives to customs because its members had complained of their shipments and consignments still being left at the ports uncleared.
Emphasising that everything has to be done to avert shortage at this period, the former Neimeth Pharmaceuticals boss said government was giving reliefs, stimulus to consuming Nigerian public and talking about condi- tional cash transfer to avert scarcity, as shortages of drugs would cause prices to go up.
He posited that when there is also a reduction in duties and levies on drugs, pharmaceutical raw materials and medical equipment at this critical time, it will force distributors and retailers to keep prices stable or reduce it.
According to him, Nigerians need everything to keep them comfortable and able to purchase because right now, many are at home not earning income, adding that the purchasing power is in decline.
“So, everything that can bring essentials to Nigerians at the best price if not free is what we are proposing. When govt brings down duties and levies, or suspend them, we can be sure, while we monitor and compel our members to pass the same to consumers.”
On the loan package to the health sector, he pointed out that the association had argued that pharmaceuticals should get part of the attention paid to agriculture, as to all intents and purposes, medicines come next to food.
The PSN chief applauded the CBN and the Bankers’ Committee for their bold action that is a major impetus to realising the National Health Policy objective of producing a minimum of 70 per cent of our essential drug needs locally.
The society prayed that the implementation will be quick, swift and wholesome, devoid of the usual lending bureaucracies of ‘come today and come tomorrow’.