MOVE TO RISTRICT HAWKING OF MEDICINE IN ANAMBRA THICKENS

A bill for a law to prohibit the hawking of any medicinal drug in Anambra State and for connected purposes 2018 has passed the second reading in the State House of Assembly.

The bill which scaled the second reading during the plenary session of the House was sponsored by the member representing Awka South One Constituency, Dr. Nnamdi Okafor.

Expatiating on the bill, Dr. Okafor said it was meant to confine the hawkers to a particular place where they could be traced in case of any issue arising from the use of the drugs they sold to people in the area.

Dr. Okafor expressed fear about its enforcement and challenged the state law enforcement agencies to lead the battle.

Contributing to the bill, the member representing Njikoka II Constituency, Dr. Pete Ibida, said most of the people who patronized the drug hawkers were mainly the uneducated people in the society.

The member representing Ayamelum Constituency, Mr. Uche Okafor, expressed the fear that those drug hawkers were not medically certified.

Also, the member representing Anambra East Constituency, Mr. Obinna Emenaka who is also a Pharmacist, said some of the hawked drugs were not standardized and therefore posed a great danger to the health of the people.

The Speaker of the House, Mrs. Rita Maduagwu, later referred the bill to the House Committees on Health and Judiciary to report back to the house in two weeks.

KEVIN EKEDIEGWU