Pharmacists on strike in South Darfur capital

The strike of pharmacists in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, entered its second day on Thursday.  

On Wednesday morning, all pharmacies closed their doors after inspectors of the Nyala Consumer Protection Department seized expired medicines and filed a number of complaints.

All pharmacies are closed now, except those serving emergency departments at the hospitals, pharmacist Malik Ahmed told Radio Dabanga.

The South Darfur Health Ministry previously addressed pharmacists in Nyala and asked them to submit expired medicines so that they can be safely destroyed.

“The expired medicines found by the members of the Consumer Protection Department were stored for this purpose,” Ahmed explained.

He said the pharmacists will lift the strike when the Consumer Protection Department stops inspecting the pharmacies. “They must leave this matter to the competent authorities, which is the National Council for Drugs and Toxicology. We are not against inspection of the pharmacies, yet it should be carried out by competent, authorised authorities, according to the law.”

Mohamed Idris, Director General of the South Darfur Ministry of Health confirmed that inspection of pharmacies is the task of the National Council for Medicines and Toxics.

“The Consumer Protection Department does not have right to inspect pharmacies. Therefore, it is not strange that the pharmacists are protesting,” he explained to this station on Thursday.

“The South Darfur department of the National Council for Medicines and Toxics is discussing the matter with the public prosecution in Nyala at the moment,” Idris said, expecting a solution that will put an end to the strike, will be found soon.

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