By Omar Bah
More than six months after it seized large quantities of imported medicines belonging to private health entity, Innovarx Global Health, The Gambia medicines control agency MCA, (the regulator) has released the medicines to the owners, following an executive order, The Standard has been reliably informed.
A source familiar with the matter informed The Standard yesterday that the medicines have been released after the intervention of the executive.
In January 2024, the MCA rejected Innovarx’s request for an import permit, and refused it to collect tons of medicines already imported into the country, packed at the Banjul airport.
Innovarx said at the time that it had notified the MCA of the arrival of their January shipment of US-sourced, FDA-approved prescription medications at the Banjul however the MCA would not listen leading to months of difficult negotiations and public row.
The MCA said after vetting Innovarx’s import clearance permit application, it was discovered that all its medicinal products are neither registered nor listed as required by law and therefore cannot grant approval for its application until legal requirements are fulfilled.
Innovarx in turn wrote to the chief of staff at the Office of the President highlighting the severe consequences of the delay in releasing their consignment held at customs for 30 days, and the financial burden imposed by the new regulations. It also warned that if the matter is not resolved promptly, they may be forced to close operations in The Gambia as early as May.
Also, on 8 May, Dr Ismail Badjie, the head of the company, met the minister of health to discuss the urgency of releasing the medicines and highlighted the imminent risk of patient treatment plans being interrupted if the situation was not resolved promptly.
Following news of the intervention of the executive and the release of the medicines by the MCA, a kidney patient on Innovarx treatment told The Standard he was elated upon hearing the news that the medicines have been released.
“I nearly lost my life because I could not access the medications on time. Now that this problem has been settled, I thank God and hope that something like this will not repeat itself in the future,” he said.
The Standard formally contacted the MCA where a source confirmed that a written communication from the permanent secretary, ministry of health was indeed received suggesting that an order had been made from high authorities for the release of the medicines.
