Bolgatanga: The Upper East Regional Office of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has cleared the Bolgatanga Main Market of unregistered and potentially harmful products to safeguard public health and safety. The operation took place on a market day, involving FDA officials sweeping through the market, including shops at the main lorry station.
According to Ghana News Agency, despite attempts by traders to conceal unregistered products upon spotting the FDA officials, the team successfully identified and seized these items. The confiscated products, which had labels depicting male sex organs, included herbal products, aphrodisiacs, ointments, hand sanitizers, herbal concoctions, body enhancement, and other pharmaceutical items. The operation spanned several hours as officials thoroughly inspected the market.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency after the exercise, Mr. Abel Ndego, the Acting Regional Head of the FDA, emphasized the Authority's commitment to ensuring regulatory compliance in the region. He mentioned the ongoing efforts to eradicate unregistered and unsafe products that pose public health threats, despite the presence of traders who persist in selling such items.
Mr. Ndego noted the infiltration of these products into the region, despite previous sensitization campaigns warning traders about the dangers and legal repercussions of selling unapproved goods. He highlighted the necessity of such operations to uphold public health and safety standards in the region and beyond.
Mr. Jiah Jiato Juah, the Regulatory Officer 1 (RO 1) of the FDA, who led the exercise, shared insights into the investigation process. The team visited Senkase, a community in Northern Togo, which borders Pulmakom in the Pusiga District, to explore how the products were entering the region. The investigation revealed that Ghanaian traders purchased unregistered products across the border on specific days, bypassing official checkpoints.
Mr. Juah explained that the traders used unapproved routes on motorbikes through Bawku and Garu to smuggle the products. Further checks indicated that many products were sourced from Dakola, a community in Burkina Faso, and smuggled via unapproved routes at Paga in the Kassena-Nankana West District.
He reiterated that under regulatory law, unregistered products are prohibited from being manufactured, distributed, imported, or exported. Mr. Juah expressed concern over the public's willingness to purchase and use these unregistered items, advising residents to be cautious of the associated health risks.
An observer, Madam Rose Akaribire Atindoo, expressed satisfaction with the FDA's actions, commending the officials for their efforts. She criticized the widespread sale and misuse of unregistered drugs, particularly among the youth, highlighting the premature deaths resulting from such practices.
