Benin: Pharma firm distributes nearly-expired baby food to nursing mothers

As part of its alleged humanitarian service to mankind, a pharmaceutical marketing company, on two consecutive days, distributed breast milk substitute, popularly known as “baby food” to hundreds of nursing mothers at Central Hospital in Benin City four days to its expiration.

Investigations revealed that “Humana Anfangsmilch” infant formula was last week Wednesday and Thursday distributed free to hundreds of nursing mothers at the ante-natal clinic in the Edo State Central Hospital located at the heart of Benin metropolis.

Thousands of cans of the product were said to have been distributed during the two- day exercise.

The product, which is meant for children between the ages of 0-6months was manufactured December 28, 2012 and expired June 29, 2014.

Analysts observed that the beneficiaries may not be able to exhaust the milk in feeding their infants within the four days the product was due to expire.

The product were distributed by staff of Thompson and Grace Pharmaceutical Company Limited which has the manufacturing firm’s sole patent right to market and distribute its products, ranging from healthcare products among others in Nigeria and other West African countries.

Thompson and Grace Pharmaceutical Company Limited has its office located at 7, Moronu Maduagwu Street, off Alhaji Masha Road, Surulere, Lagos.

A bus with registration number EDO AKD 313 XB conveyed the baby foods to the Central Hospital for distribution to nursing mothers who were on their routine ante-natal appointments while other passers-by including males also thronged into the place to collect for their wives or relatives.

Some of the beneficiaries collected between two to three cans of the product.

The management of the Central Hospital however denied neither having knowledge of the distribution of the baby foods to the nursing mothers by the firm nor giving it permission to carry out the distribution.

A staff of the marketing firm who simply gave his name as Isaac, in a telephone chat, said they were in the hospital on the request of the management, arguing that the products were still in fact, very healthy for consumption.

According to him, “The product is still very healthy and it will not last more than two days. The management of the hospital requested for it and it costs over N3,000 per product. It cost us a lot to bring them down to Benin from Lagos.

“Giving the product out for free to nursing mothers would not be a total loss to us as they are being consumed by people and the gesture will serve as investment to us,” he said.

In a telephone interview, David West, Benin zonal director of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), who described the incident as criminal, said the action of the company was a violation of international regulations on breast milk substitutes.

He added that the agency prohibited the marketing of any health products in health facilities just as he however promised to investigate the incident.

When contacted, Edith Kayode Iyasere, the chief medical director of the Central Hospital, denied knowledge of the pharmaceutical marketing firm’s gesture to nursing mothers at the hospital.

Iyasere however referred BusinessDay to Edwin Ojieho, the secretary of the hospital, who said he only got to know that the company was at the premise of the hospital to distribute baby foods to nursing mothers through one of the doctors after the people had left the hospital.

“The management of the hospital was not aware of their presence. They only sneaked into the premises and carried out their illegitimate exercise. One of our medical doctors called and said somebody was distributing baby food that was about to expire and that the people are even saying that government said they should come and distribute the baby food at the hospital.

“I don’t blame the doctor that informed me because he didn’t see the people on time. He said he saw the product with one of the patients inside the ante-natal clinic and on enquiry he was told that some persons came to distribute it to them for free,” he added.

Ojieho however alleged that some of the health officers working at the ante- natal clinic might have connived with the people before the baby food were distributed to patients.

He said the incident would be investigated and those found wanting would be made to face the music in accordance with the rules of the ministry.

It would be recalled that in similar circumstances, a Lagos pharmaceutical company in November 2008, distributed “My Pikin” teething powdered mixture that led to some nursing mother, a situation which led to the death of over 80 children.

IDRIS UMAR MOMOH