The move of DDA comes after the custom officials found date expired medicines in the relief packages sent by various countries to Nepal's earthquake victims.
"We have deployed drug inspectors at the TIA and custom offices to monitor the expiry date of medicines. The medicines past expiry date would be disposed of immediately," said Baburam Khakurel, director general (DG) at the DDA. He claimed that the DDA is serious about public health and has been strictly monitoring medicines sent by various countries in relief.Over 8,000 people were killed and thousands of others injured in the April 25 earthquake. The ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) said over 700 health facilities, including five district hospitals have been completely destroyed. This has left thousands of people without basic health care services for over a month now.
Several western as well as Asian countries have sent medicines in relief to the earthquake victims following the request of MoHP. Officials at DDA said that some of the medicines sent in relief are past the expiry date.
DDA chief, Khakurel, however, refused to make public the names of expired medicines and the country of its origin. He said DDA drug inspectors have been preparing a list of date expired drugs in order to dispose of them.
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