Ministry of Health calls for withdrawal of drugs

Iman Abdullah Al Ali and Aya Al Deeb, Staff Reporters

The Ministry of Health and Community Protection (MoHAP) issued a circular withdrawing all batches of the drug Frenin injection (phenylephrine 10mg), used to treat cough and cold. The MoHAP suspended its supply, noting that it is not registered with the ministry.

The Department of Health in Abu Dhabi analysed samples of the product and the results showed strange particles in the intravenous solution.

Dr Amin Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health Policy and Licences, Chairman of the Higher Committee for Drug Awakening, instructed not to use and supply the product.

In another circular, MoHAP withdrew all batches of Quinine dihydrochloride 300mg / 2 ml injection, used to treat malaria and suspended its supply, noting that it is not registered with the ministry.

In a third circular, the MoHAP revealed they received a letter from the Health Council of the GCC countries, issued by the Ministry of Health in Bahrain about the batch No. 128221170 of Cloves Vinyl examination, non-powdered, non-sterile, secure vinyl Medik, indicating its bad quality.

In a fourth circular, the MoHAP warned of the drug Actemra/Roactemra, used for treating rheumatoid arthritis, arteriosclerosis in giant cells, and idiopathic arthritis, after it turned out that it causes serious damages to the liver, acute liver failure and hepatitis.

The ministry obligated the producing company to add warnings, and directed health care practitioners not to prescribe the drug to patients who have problems in the level of liver enzymes.

The MoHAP also lifted the temporary suspension of the registration, importation and marketing of the “Circular” antibiotic, registered with the Ministry after the quality and safety of the samples were affirmed.

two in the dock

In another development, the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court looked into the case of two charged with counterfeiting official documents which were presented a bank to get credit cards and loans, reports Aya Al Deeb. A bank found out while checking and reviewing loan applications that the transactions included forged papers, which the bank employee received and consequently issued 22 credit cards, of Dhs100,000 each, with a total amount of about Dhs2m.

The court adjourned the case for a ruling on Tuesday, April 30, after hearing the witness in the case, the bank’s legal adviser.

According to the case papers, the prosecution charged the first suspect with conniving with an anonymous person to counterfeit official papers including salary certificates, account statements belonging to two banks, loan applications attributed to a hospital in Abu Dhabi, and residence card copies, issued by the Department of Naturalisation and Residency. The bank’s legal adviser told the court the bank discovered the forged documents after addressing the concerned parties.

He pointed out that all applications were reviewed by the second suspect, a sales representative at the bank, which he approved and submitted to the concerned section to complete the procedures for the loans and issuance of the credit cards. He also affirmed that the bank employee did not follow the proper procedures where he had to summon the loan applicant. The first suspect applied for 43 credit cards with names of different people and had already received 22 of them and has withdrawn the full amount of about Dhs2m. The bank suspended the issuance of 21 cards after the discovery of the incident,” the adviser added.

In court, the bank employee denied the charge, stressing that the head of the section was responsible for issuing cards and he was only responsible for receiving and forwarding applications. He pointed out that the administration of the bank issued the cards without confirmation of authenticity.

On being interrogated, the first suspect told the prosecution he worked for an ad company, not in a hospital, affirming he knew nothing about the incident. The second suspect admitted that the first sent him the applications including the forged documents, which he approved without verifying them.