Whenever the TV screen lights up, and an advertisement appears about magical weight-loss products, I remember Selma years ago. Attempts with diets that required her to be patient with hunger, and deprivation of delicacies, however For her, the results were slow and unsatisfactory, as she remembered her refusal to advise some to resort to operations Surgical “gagging” .. And I wondered: Why do you not repeat the experiences of the men, women and children of the advertisement? Those who look at the top of happiness and health after they have fought obesity, and have gained slender bodies and ideal weights. !? It was not only a reason to gain the confidence of that twenty-year-old girl, but also hundreds, perhaps thousands of overweight people Those who were fond of the dream of easy and quick slimming, and pushed them to buy the product and use it without any medical advice! Everyone agreed that the Consumer Protection Agency announced that it had obtained a court ruling to imprison the legal representative of a company The famous slimming product, and a fine of 900,000 pounds.
Shifa's DreamWe must admit first that stopping the circulation of a slimming product does not mean that it is the only one that is offered to the public Consumers, false dreams about agility, there is a torrent of dreams and promises of recovery from back pain, bones and roughness knees, and permanently get rid of pressure, diabetes or impotence, and eliminate infertility, straightening and smoothing hair and treating Androgenetic baldness breaks out like a flood on satellite TV screens and on Facebook pages, relying on the delivery system to deliver The product, which caught the attention of Karam Jabr, head of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, who announced that there is Unapproved medications and drugs are offered in some programs as if they help cure all diseases!! And he explained - in a statement that was circulated in the media - that the council addressed the syndicates of pharmacists and doctors to cooperate with it to provide All means of protection for the citizen, and the preparation of a joint charter with medical unions to control the appearance of their members on satellite channels.
The first thread of this journalistic investigation, which we were interested in capturing, is: How did these products easily gain trust? consumers?
The password was the phrase “registered with the Ministry of Health,” which, of course, is sufficient to create a sense of reassurance of submission The product is for examination and analysis, and that it is definitely fit for circulation and safely achieves the declared therapeutic or cosmetic goal.
The surprise was that this phrase is not obtained for these products except through fraud As revealed to us by Dr. Abdel Nasser Badawi Sengab, former dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy at Ain Shams University, and a member of the committee Trio to supervise the Pharmacists Syndicate, saying: tampering with the registration of products under the name of herbs, and selling them as medicines is a crime Dangerous and has existed for years, as the owner of the product claims that he obtained a registration for an herb and not a medicine, although That everything that has a medical, pharmacological and physiological effect on a person falls under the heading of medicine, for example from It records a vitamin, supplement or herb, is it sold for nutritional purposes?
The answer is that all of them declare that it is used for medicinal and therapeutic purposes, and this is a crime and poses a great danger to one's health Citizens. And he adds: No one knows what these materials are made of, and may even carry some of them Toxic elements in its composition, and I may be right if I say that it is one of the most important reasons for the spread of hepatitis C and failure Kidney diseases in Egypt are such unknown and harmful medicines and products.
Sengab called for activating the role of oversight and coordination between the concerned authorities With such an illegal and immoral act of selling these products, the state must notify the Pharmacists Syndicate of this to be done Interrogate him and delete him.
And he adds: We had hoped, after the formation of the Medicines Authority and the Food Safety Authority, to fight this mafia, but unfortunately there is no A common line or coordination of work between them.
Verify medication
Abdullah Abu Talib, a member of the European Office of the World Health Organization, said that the Ministry of Health has no authority authority over drug advertisements, and this does not negate the fact that there is a joint responsibility between them and the Medicines Authority and the Authority Food Safety, the National Media Authority and the Consumer Protection Agency in this dangerous file, Abu Talib also confirmed that There is no country in the world that has paid medical programs except in Egypt!
He pointed out that the violators are exploiting a loophole in the laws and procedures to sell herbs and unknown substances as medicines. And some of them are celebrities and get a registration for a product that is herbal, and let us assume, for example, turmeric, we see it on programs And channels describe it as a medicine for serious diseases such as liver, heart, pressure, diabetes, colon, etc., even if it is questioned. He says I am like an apothecary, so why don't you close the apothecary shops?
Abu Talib explained that the World Health Organization talks about public policies and countries deal according to their local policies And I demand that there be awareness campaigns for citizens not to deal with such unknown drugs, which are being sold 99% of them are via the Internet or unlicensed places medically and pharmacologically, and awareness must be raised about the need to ask about Registration number and what are its uses.
He indicated that he attended a project between the Ministry of Health and Military Production to launch a website and a hotline for tracking and trace. Verification of drug registration. There is also a department in the Ministry of Health for health information, but it moves according to a budget specific.
kidney failure
Does the whole danger of these products boil down to the fact that they only sell the illusion to the consumer and do not achieve the declared purpose? About him? The truth is that it is much more than a hoax or a lie, as Dr. Hamed Al-Iraqi surprised us. The head of the kidney department at Mansoura International Hospital, and a member of the Doctors Syndicate Council, said that the hospital had received hundreds of cases Those who suffered kidney failure after consuming products of unknown origin as medicines, and upon seeing the product, they noticed Absence of the names of the materials from which it is manufactured or their percentage, which is a medically dangerous matter, because the percentages are very important and increasing them Sometimes it leads to poisoning or death, and lack of knowledge of the nature of the ingredients from which the product is made leads to results Severe. As it is known, any medicine or preparation must obtain a registration number in the Ministry of Health Ministry of Health, but most of them get the registration number through the back gate for that in what is known as “supplements.” Nutrition » Therefore, you find most of these drugs that are promoted as a medicine for weight loss or for the liver and kidneys And others have a registration number for a food supplement only.
He adds: It is known medically that there is no herbal remedy for cirrhosis of the liver and kidney failure, and some of them deceive People put painkillers in large quantities inside the capsule so that the patient feels comfortable, and the fact is that there is no dietary supplement It is used as a medical treatment, and we medically use medicines with this name to treat anemia, for example, or deficiency Minerals and vitamins in the body due to a disease, noting that there is a difference between supplements produced by companies It is known and sold in pharmacies, and among those unknown ones that are manufactured in Bir Salam factories or Imported from abroad in incorrect ways or of unknown origin.
Dr. Al-Iraqi justified the secret of the demand for trading in these products and promoting them with advertisements charged with increasing the profit rate. To more than 300%, the supplement package does not cost more than 7 pounds, but it reaches the consumer by about 50 pounds. Therefore, most of them accept to work in it due to its mythical gains. This is with regard to licensed companies, so let alone Licensed or someone who works in the dark.
Poor creams
There are also risks, as Dr. Walid Arafat, professor of oncology at Alexandria University, told us: it may happen There is a conflict between these unknown products and medicines and treatments that the patient already takes because he has a heart or diabetes Or the liver, which causes a deterioration in the disease and may lead to death, even the creams that are sold to citizens from Unknown companies, you should beware of them because most of them cause skin diseases due to the poor quality of the ingredients. Arafat confirmed that they are deceiving the Ministry of Health to obtain a registration number, as a form of nutrition only. Without the ministry intending to allow it as a treatment for any disease.
As for Dr. Muhammad Ezz Al-Arab, Professor of Liver and Founder of the Oncology Unit at the National Liver Institute, he referred to: Most of these herbs contain impurities and highly dangerous substances, such as the “aflatoxin” fungus, which is closely related to the occurrence of Liver diseases and cancer, and there are interactions and effects that occur to these unknown drugs that directly affect the body Especially the functions of the liver and kidneys.
Ezz Al-Arab warned that these products contain heavy metals, which directly cause kidney failure Because the body is unable to get rid of it, in addition to that some of them use some types of herbs without Knowing its dangers to the body, such as the “Tatura” herb, which is used in quantities known medically because of its danger and causes addiction. If it is taken unscientifically and medically.
Ezz Al-Arab said, "We hope that in the near future, with the implementation of comprehensive health insurance, it will be completed." Eliminate these serious problems, because this system is concerned with addressing all types of fraud and counterfeiting, and aims to implement The highest standards of quality and professionalism, in order to preserve people's lives.
Vitamin poisoning
Dr. Jamal Shaaban, former dean of the Heart Institute, says that the methods of extracting these drugs or their sources It is not known, and has not been subject to the supervision or approval of the competent international or local organizations, and has not been passed through the scientific method Therefore, it may contain impurities or harmful substances, whether in terms of type or in terms of quality Chemistry, concentration, and drugs are nothing but poisons in small quantities, and poisons are nothing but drugs in large quantities.
Shaaban adds: For proper medicine to arrive and be sold in pharmacies, it takes decades of research and experimentation Laboratories, animals, simple samples, etc., until its validity and effectiveness are confirmed, but these are unknown types It is not subject to these stages, and therefore there are substances of unknown quality and unsafe concentrations that cause Serious damage to the health of the citizen, even if it was vitamins or supplements, it may cause what is known as "vitamin poisoning". The content may be safe, but its focus is not safe, and we suffer from random dispensing of approved medicines, so what? About unsupported?
The price of femininity!
We were able to communicate with some of the victims of fake treatments, to find out that some of them paid a high price for these The experience, Mahmoud, a young man who had not left the station after the third decade of his life, suffered kidney failure Chronic, even though he only suffered from fat on the liver, he says: I saw an advertisement for two people, one of whom wore Balto Abyad and they exchange a dialogue about the danger of neglecting fatty liver treatment and that it only takes two boxes From a product placed in front of them, and he adds: After not long thinking, I decided to go through the experiment, especially since it is herbal, if not It will definitely not harm you, and he continues: I traveled from North Sinai, where I live, to Mansoura Governorate to meet the delegate. And receiving the treatment, and after exactly two months of use, Mahmoud continues: The pain was indescribable and hit my body hard From both sides, and in Mansoura Hospital, I learned the heartbreaking truth, which is that I had become ill with kidney failure I need to wash three times a week for the rest of my life.
As for Sobhi, the seventy-year-old man who spent long nights in silence, he could not sleep due to back and knee pain. He was fortunate enough, as the doctors were satisfied with performing dialysis for him only twice, so that his kidneys would return to work after them He survives chronic kidney failure, and his story is caused by a false hope for a full recovery from those pains rheumatic disease, so he bought the advertised tablets, and found that they contained a very large amount of painkillers, as well Doctors told him later, and this is the secret of his fascination with the initial results of the dummy treatment, before the kidneys stopped stopping. Temporary, liver function is also affected by high doses of analgesics.
In contrast to the story of our first heroine, "Salma", who is looking for agility, and whose product did not find any benefit. With her, her weight did not decrease by one kilogram, but on the contrary, it led to a disruption of her hormones and a delay in her period. Iman, a twenty-year-old girl who complains of extreme thinness, comes to the point where some mock her and repeat sentences from Quadeh: “You have to get drunk a little so that you look beautiful and get married.” She did not hesitate while watching an advertisement On one of the channels for a product that strengthens and nourishes the body and completely eliminates thinness in less than two months in He ordered it immediately, and she received a powder-like product in two sealed sachets. She was told that the drug was completely safe and “registered.” in the Ministry of Health.” After a week, her happiness was overwhelming, as she felt fullness in her cheeks and the spirit of femininity creeping in. In her body, she did not realize that she was adding a deadly poison every day to the cup of milk she was drinking. According to the attending physician, the medicine Iman was taking contained large amounts of cortisone. To inflate the body and work on gaining the skin, especially the face, a percentage of redness, which is what suggests to the patient that he has already died On thinness, especially since there were no components written on the bags, and the result was, unfortunately, that she was injured. Iman Diabetes!
a global crisis
According to the reports of the World Health Organization, 30% to 60% of counterfeit medicines are sold in countries Low-income, according to the Institute for Pharmaceutical Security, an international body that monitors the field of medicine in the world For another study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association «JAMA», the crisis of selling fake and non-counterfeited drugs Conformity is a global crisis that exists in all countries of the world, and the volume of counterfeit and corrupt medicine trade in the world It has increased by 60% over the last five years, to reach a value of $200 billion It reached $75 billion in 2015, and the volume of counterfeit medicines represents about 20% of the market. Global medicines, and 90% of these medicines are manufactured in India and China, which was also confirmed by the WHO Economic cooperation and development.
Consumer protection
Hope was pinned on Hamas and the positivity of the Consumer Protection Agency, and we contacted Ayman Hussam El-Din, Assistant Minister Supply, and the acting head of the Consumer Protection Agency, said: The agency obtained a ruling to imprison the owner One of the pages on the social networking site for two years and a fine of 100,000 pounds for promoting unlicensed and unlicensed pharmaceutical products. In conformity with the specifications, the device also obtained a ruling to imprison the legal representative of a famous slimming products company for one year and an amount 900,000 pounds fine, after it was found that the procedures for registering the product at the Ministry of Health had not been completed, and that it had claimed its capacity It helps to get rid of excess weight, although the advertised package is registered as a food product rich in fiber, with an apple flavor with artificial sweetener, and this purpose does not include that it helps to reduce weight, and the ingredients of the product do not It goes beyond being fibers, indicating that the device has received many complaints that are damaged by the product Either for failure to achieve a result or for health damage.
Hossam El-Din appealed to artists and public figures not to market such misleading advertisements, especially since these Advertisements for products that are not licensed or registered for other purposes, so you find a product licensed as a dietary supplement sold as a medicine for the joints Or for the liver and others, which constitutes a crime, and he confirmed the determination of the Consumer Protection Agency to track down unlicensed medicines And continue his efforts and take all legal measures to apprehend all violators.
An attempt to kill
Dr. Abdel Moneim Zamzam, a professor of criminal law at Cairo University, said that the harm resulting from this The commodity if it was healthy, meaning that the citizen was exposed to a health crisis or death occurred due to taking non-conforming medicines Like slimming lotions, the penalty increases and reaches attempted murder, even if 10 people gather and present Each of them is reported according to the damage inflicted on him, so the penalty will be separate, even as it may reach 30 One year in prison, not just 3 years, because the damage pertains to each person individually.
Dr. Ehab Ramzy, the legal expert, said that there are facts of forgery of the Ministry of Health's registration number, and they are The charge is forgery of an official document, and he has a separate penalty of up to temporary hard labor and a maximum of 15 years. In the case of fraud in devices and equipment that are not directly related to human health, they are subject to Commercial Fraud Law No 10, and his sentence is currently up to 3 years as a maximum sentence.
In conclusion, we hope that the efforts of all concerned parties will unite to stop the flood of disease sold in capsules on a screen And the most important thing is that we have awareness of the danger that our mouths swallow medicines and drugs without a prescription.
The Medicines Authority: We are not a competent authority..and the protocol with “food safety” is not activated
We contacted the Egyptian Medicines Authority, and their response was through Mostafa Hassan, their official spokesperson, that there is a protocol signed two months ago between the Medicines Authority and the Food Safety Authority regarding health-related products, but this protocol has not yet been implemented.
The authority requested that we give it time to explain the licensing mechanism and give the registration number for these products as food, although they are directly in line with medicinal purposes, and are even offered as a treatment through advertisements. They have this file, which falls within the competence of the Food Safety Authority.
With research, it became clear that Law No. 206 of 2017, under the title of the Law Regulating Advertising for Health Products and Services, stipulated in its second article the prohibition of advertising by any means for any health product or health service without obtaining a license to do so from the competent committee stipulated in Article No. 3, granting the committee the right to address the Supreme Council for Media Regulation to stop broadcasting unauthorized advertisements, and set penalties for anyone who allows the publication of this advertisement ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 pounds, imprisonment for a period of no less than a month, and a fine of 500,000 pounds if this product causes It has been announced that there will be permanent disability or death, but the surprise is that this committee has not been formed yet!
The authority has written on its official website, among its conditions, that it does not need a sample of food supplements to be analyzed before granting a license, whether it is imported or even locally produced, because it has - as it announces on its official website - a comprehensive regulatory approach that enables it to supervise products side by side. With control over the market!
Although it is currently granted licenses, it cannot take any legal measures at the present time regarding the complaints it receives, but rather it will put them in its future plans.
Quoted from Al-Ahram newspaper