Edo state government said it would soon set up a Sickle Cell Board to properly take care of victims of the sickle cell anaemia and also embark on greater enlightenment campaigns to stem the tide of sickle cell disorders in the state.

The state governor, Adams Oshiomhole stated this on Monday when he had a meeting with members of the Sickle Cell Club in his office.

A statement from his Chief press Secretary yesterday, Peter Okhiria quoted the governor as saying that “to propagate awareness is much more important because, as they say, prevention is better than cure. Sickle cell as we all know is something that can be prevented by ensuring that the people with certain blood grade don’t get married.

“So raising awareness is at the heart of the objective of this centre.

“How the centre is run and the rules of the centre are the prerogative of the Edo state government.
Therefore the authority of the commissioner to regulate, reorganize and restructure the affairs of the centre is provided for in this law as the full authority.

Meanwhile, the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has expressed concern over the activities of fake dealers of pharmaceutical products in the country and called for the urgent need to strengthen the existing laws guiding and regulating the profession.

State chairman of PSN, Chris Iyare also lamented that the practice has become like an all comers affair apparently because insufficient pharmacists in the state, a situation he said gave room for quacks to find their in the noble profession.

He sated this during the 36th annual pharmacy health week where he was honoured with the an award of excellence by the Pharmaceutical Student Society of the University of Benin, his alma-mata.

On the effort by PSN in curbing the activities of quacks, he stated “At the level of the pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria we have set up pharmacy inspection committee, task force on fake and counterfeit drugs and the National Agency for Drugs and Regulatory Control together with Pharmacy Council of Nigeria. We also have extant laws that regulate pharmacy and it practice, so we intent to strengthened those laws and work on it effectiveness and it application so that we can sanitize our practice at the moment

“The challenge in Edo state is the same thing everywhere, we have shortage of pharmacists and because of that it now creates room for other people to deal on drugs which is not healthy for our environment. We want a situation where can have more pharmacist in the state”