NAFDAC arrests 3, seals 4 shops over fake, unregistered medical devices in Anambra

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it has arrested three suspects over alleged sale of unregistered medical devices in Onitsha, Anambra.

Mr Omoyeni Babatunde, its Regulatory and Enforcement Officer in the state, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Onitsha.

Babatunde said that the agency has also sealed four shops for selling fake and unregistered medical devices.

He said that the devices were mostly for checking blood pressure, temperature and insulin levels.

Babatunde said that the agency was out to mop-up all the imported fake and unregistered medical devices.

According to him, these fake medical devices give wrong diagnosis which leads to therapeutic failure and in some cases, sudden death.

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“In medicine, we believe so much that (if) the diagnosis is wrong; the whole lot of medical treatment would be a total failure.

“So as a way of guarding against this therapeutic failure of a thing; we are out for these medical devices

“Because companies are doing genuine products and they are distributing, but unscrupulous people, traders in the market are also going to other countries bringing in fake medical devices.

“Because, if somebody that has a problem, a diabetic patient for example, is getting a blood glucose level that is within the normal range, we think it is okay.

“But at the end of the day; the person his internal organs, the heart, the kidney, they would have all degenerated to the point that the whole thing will collapse and then before you know it, the person had died.’’

The enforcement officer said that the mop-up would be a nationwide exercise.

He said that the agency would not leave any stone on turned in its drive to ensure that safe, sound and accurate medical devices were sold and used in the country.