KUWAIT CITY: The Medicines Inspection Department of the Ministry of Health said the General Administration of Customs at the Shuwaikh Port thwarted attempts to smuggle into the country three container loads of various types of medicines.
According to customs sources the containers came from China loaded with thousands of medicine packages for burning fat, cosmetics and treatment of skin.
The Undersecretary for Medicines and Medical Equipment at the Ministry of Health Dr Omar Al-Sayed told the daily, the containers were not equipped with refrigeration and carried harmful substances for peeling skin and treatment of acne, fat-burning and slimming. He went on to say the Inspection Department at the Ministry of Health and the regulatory authorities in various ministries will continue to thwart such attempts.
For his part Director of the Department of Drug Administration Dr Jaber Al- Khalidi spoke of the necessity to focus on shipments coming into the country through land, sea and air ports. Supervisor of the Medicines Inspection Department Dr Nawaf Al-Harbi warned of unlicensed medicines being distributed saying the health of patients will be at risk.
An official said, “I followed these containers before they arrived at the port, and learned that the duration of the trip was one month and ten days, and that the containers were not refrigerated and the medicines would not be able to bear the brunt of the summer heat in Kuwait.” He warned of the impact of such medicines on public health saying in some cases it could even lead to death.
