NAFDAC’s fake drug detecting machine ar rives Onitsha market
From NWABUEZE OKONKWO, Onitsha
Thurday, January 21, 2010



Photo: Sun Publishing
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Palpable fear has gripped Onitsha drug dealers as the fake drug testing machine imported by the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) arrived the Onitsha drug market yesterday. The machine is expected to be used for carrying out the first South East public test of drugs on sale at the drug market.
The machine simply called “True Scan Machine’’ was programmed to detect the condition of commonly used as well as faked drugs in the country they are to ascertain whether genuine or not within one to three minutes interval of its lesser laser beam scan.
NAFDAC Chief Regulatory Officer, Mrs. Leli Aigbomian who led the team to the market, said the machine also has the capacity to analyze tablets on the spot in order to ascertain the various quantity of its composition, adding, “if it is pure chalk, the machine will also detect and confirm”.

Aigbomian said that the machine was an improvement on the agency’s capacity to check fake and adulterated drugs on the spot; adding: “The machine will be mostly used at the port or point of entry of these drugs to the country so that the issue of fake drug importation will stop’’.
“Although, we have got a lot of stock of the machine for distribution, I will not say for sure whether it can go round considering the number of markets we have, she stated, adding, but for some states, the machines allocated to them will be sufficient, while others need more”.

The NAFDAC officer said that the True Scan Machine test conducted within the Onitsha drug market was successfully done. Aigbomian also said that the agency would partner with drug markets and associations on the need for them to acquire the product in order to give them the ability to access themselves and do easy internal verification of drug genuineness at any point in time.

Meanwhile, most traders interviewed by newsmen were suspicions of the visit of the agency to the market, adding that they were not given any pre-information about the visit of NAFDAC as well as the new machine,
“We are still apprehensive of this unscheduled visit of the agency as well as the open test of our drugs; we hope that the agency is not planning to close down the market again,’’ a cross section of them said.
Mr. Emeka Ezeanyika, Chairman, Onitsha Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers Union (OPPMDU), commended the agency and its Director-General, Dr. Paul Orhii for his focused war against fake and adulterated drugs in the country.

“I commend NAFDAC D-G, Dr. Paul Orhii for successful checking of fake and adulterated drugs in the country within his one year in office and the introduction of the new fake drug detecting machine.


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/jan/21/national-21-01-2010-12.htm

selingel:

Meanwhile, most traders interviewed by newsmen were suspicions of the visit of the agency to the market, adding that they were not given any pre-information about the visit of NAFDAC as well as the new machine,
“We are still apprehensive of this unscheduled visit of the agency as well as the open test of our drugs; we hope that the agency is not planning to close down the market again,’’ a cross section of them said.

Any one that has clean hands, and is doing genuine business needs not fear. Those Okoro guys should stop feeding us with chalks, please.

Fake dug makes deserves nothing but the firing squad.

How do you callously sing peoples death warrant all because of money? Just imagine paying for and  innocently swallowing chalk and other nonsense to control and treat diabetes and end up dieing from diabetic shock.

Very good development.

However, we know that reputable machines suddenly fail to work when it comes to Nigeria. Even the machine go accept bribe and give u fake results. Same thing that happened with the MRI machines brought in for bone density scanning during the U-17 tourney.

Good. Let anyone with fake drugs be thrown in jail. People will finish in Onitsha.

Uche2nna:

Very good development.

However, we know that reputable machines suddenly fail to work when it comes to Nigeria. Even the machine go accept bribe and give u fake results. Same thing that happened with the MRI machines brought in for bone density scanning during the U-17 tourney.

That is my greatest fear!. It is not the machine itself, but those operating the machine. I hope the machine does not chop bribe!.

ezeagu:

Good. Let anyone with fake drugs be thrown in jail. People will finish in Onitsha.

selingel:

That is my greatest fear!. It is not the machine itself, but those operating the machine. I hope the machine does not chop bribe!.

the machine can also process bundles of 1000 naira notes - lol

blacksta:

the machine can also process bundles of 1000 naira notes - lol

multi-tasking machine lol

It is not the machine that needs bribe, but the machinery!.