The cascading effects of the Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) outbreak in the country are manifesting themselves inshortages of some essential drugs as huge quantities of medicines are currently being held at the Banjul International Airport (BIA).
The Medicines Control Agency (MCA) is said to have been thrown into a state of confusion by the sackings of its top directors by the Gambia government.
The government, acting on the recommendation of the commission of inquiry established to investigate AKI, has sent home MCA’s director and deputy director but their dismissals have thrown spanners in the agency’s works.
Currently, MCA is unable to effectively and efficiently do its work as medicines imported into the country are stuck at various ports of entry, including the airport.
This is unacceptable, especially when we are told that the situation has been causing problems with the affordability and availability of some medicines.
The claims by health ministry sources that MCA has yet to put its house in order following the sackings of its directors could not make much sense to us.
It’s our conviction that institutions should not be built around personalities. Institutions should be bigger than personalities.
Therefore, it’s our hope and expectation that the health ministry will do the right thing by ensuring that MCA operates without let or hindrance.
