Gombe Teaching Hospital Burns 1,087kg Of Expired Drugs, Medical Consumables
By Najib Sani, Gombe
To ensure the well-being of its patients, the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, Gombe State on Thursday destroyed a total of 1,050 kilogrammes of expired drugs and 37.8 kilogrammes of toxic drugs and expired medical consumables.
Speaking during the exercise held at the hospital’s incinerators’ room, the Head of Pharmacy Department of the facility, Adamu Sallah Alhaji, explained that the destruction of stale drugs is a routine exercise aimed at safeguarding public health.
According to him, the goal of the hospital is to guarantee that patients receive only standard and harmless medications.
“This proactive measure is expected to boost confidence between patients and the hospital,” he said.
He added that the exercise was carried out using the hospital’s state-of-the-art incinerator, ensuring proper disposal and minimising environmental pollution.
Also speaking, chairman of the committee for the drug disposal, Abu Ubaida Mu’azu, extended an invitation to other health facilities in the state to utilise the hospital’s incinerator for disposing of their expired drugs and equipment.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has lauded the hospital’s efforts in conducting the destruction of expired drugs.
Senior Regulatory Officer of NAFDAC, Khadija Adamu Tabra who inspected the exercise emphasized the agency’s commitment to ensuring that healthcare facilities do not administer fake or expired drugs to patients.
“Facilities found guilty of such practices risk being fined, as expired drugs can be harmful and even deadly,” she warned.
The Public Relations Officer of the National Environmental Standard and Regulations Agency (NESREA), Sani Auwalu Dutse, commended the hospital for observing established guidelines in the disposal of the drugs and for its diligence in preventing environmental threats.
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