Expired medicine sales fuel concerns in Helmand

LASHKARGAH (Pajhwok): A number of residents of southern Helmand province are complaining about sales of spurious medicines as their side-effects.

Naqibullah, a resident of Marja district, told Pajhwok Afghan News: “Two days ago, I took an ailing relative to the doctor, who handed us a prescription.

“I bought the medicines worth 5,000 afghanis. But they did not have any effect on the health of the patient due to their inferior quality,” he claimed.

Naqibullah urged public health officials to control the sales of poor-quality medicines in the market.

Gul Agha, hailing from the 2^nd police district of Lashkargah, also grumbled about side-effects of substandard medicines.

Haji Mohammad Amin, an inhabitant of the 1^st police district, told Pajhwok ordinary people did know much about the quality of medicine and most of the time they were sold drugs of poor quality.

Dr. Ahmadzai Habibi, an internal medicine specialist in Lashkargah, said: “An expired medicine given to a patient with a particular disease enhances the risk of causing him/her other illnesses. It may cause even death.”

He asked the officials concerned to monitor the quality of medicines in the market and bring sellers of substandard drugs to justice.

Public Health Director Dr. Syed Ahmad Saeed acknowledged the presence of low-quality medicines. However, he said they had launched an investigation and those involved in the sordid business would be prosecuted.

sa/mud