Lagos State House of Assembly Monday moved to prevent indiscriminate sales and administration of COVID-19 drugs and vaccines by private organisations in the state, while reviewing the coronavirus bill 2020.
This followed a motion moved by the house committee chairman on health services, Hon. Akeem Shokunle prayed the house to be proactive in preventing indiscriminate sales of COVID-19 vaccine which should be left for the government alone.
Hon. Shokunle representing Oshodi/Isolo 1, suggested that the already passed coronavirus bill awaiting governor’s assent be recalled, reviewed to contain regulations on the sales and administration of COVID-19 drugs and vaccines in the state.
In his contribution, Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu (Eti Osa 2), supported Shokunle adding that it was lamentable the way people are bringing vaccines into the country.
He advised that there should be a way to regulate the importation of such drugs as well as their sales, especially as the virus comes with different variants.
He noted that the House already has a bill and that all that is required is a recall of the bill for the purpose of amending it to cover the sales and distribution of related drugs.
On his part, Hon. Temitope Adewale (Ifaki Ijaiye 1), said while COVID-19 is known to be ravaging the world and affecting the state, there is danger in self-medication or administration of drugs that are not regulated or approved.
Supporting that the bill be recalled, he warned that the state faced the danger of people suffering adverse effects from the use of some of these drugs.
The motion was further supported by Hon. Tobun Abiodun,representing Epe I, “Private people importing vaccines into the country without regulation is an aberration and should be looked into before endangering the lives of our people.
“We should be very careful so that people don’t make business at the detriment of our people.
“We have passed a law; hence, we need to look into the law so that if we have any input they should submit it.” He said.
The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, directed the acting chairman of the House committee on health, Hon. Hakeem Shokunle, to have further discussions with the executive arm in relation to a bill.
Obasa, who presided over the sitting, said the state needed to act, monitor and regulate activities around the sales and use of the drugs so as not to make it free-for-all.
