26 Mar 2013

Parliament has adopted a Bill seeking to amend  Drugs and Related Substances Act of 1992. 

 

The Bill which was presented by the Minister of Health, Dr John Seakgosing provides for registration, regulation of sale, distribution, importation, manufacture and dispensing of medicines and related substances.

 

It was subsequently passed to committee stage of Parliament after MPs overwhelmingly threw their weight behind the Bill.

 

Dr Seakgosing thanked Parliament for supporting the Bill, and gave assurance that the Bill would control bad practises like illegal sale of medicine and drugs if passed into legislation. 

 

He also stated that it would cover the practising of traditional healing to prevent fake traditional doctors from endangering lives. He however pointed that the proposed law was not a threat to traditional medicine, but sought to regulate it.

 

“I appreciate the value of traditional medicine because it helps a great deal with curing illnesses. It is sad that knowledge of traditional medicine in our nation is diminishing because it has not been passed on sufficiently to the young generation,” said Dr Seakgosing.

 

The minister acknowledged that illegal peddling of drugs and fake medicine remained a concern, and urged people to avoid buying medication on the street. Instead, he stressed that people must buy medicine from certified outlets for safety purposes.

 

Mr Odirile Motlhale, who is the MP for South East South constituency was among the legislators supporting the Bill. In his debate, the he said government must step up the fight against sale of habit forming drugs such as caffeine and dagga noting that it was growing in Botswana.

 

“It is a big, commercial industry that must be looked at closely. Government must target distributors of these drugs in order to nip this problem out,” said the MP.

 

He also suggested stiffer punishment for culprits caught selling drugs, explaining that in countries with zero tolerance for drugs, drug moles were even sentenced to death.

 

The MP for Lobatse, Mr Nehemiah Modubule also supported the Bill, but showed discomfort with the inconsistent penalties which the Bill proposed for offenders. He noted that there was no consistence between the jail-term proposed for offenders and the fine they had to pay.

 

He also said while he welcomed the intentions of the Bill, he felt it would be challenging to regulate traditional medicine because Parliament had no prescriptions for traditional medicine.

The MP for Kgatleng West, Mr Gilbert Mangole expected the Bill to close any existing loophole that could result in dangerous medicines being dumped in Botswana. He added that the proposed law should assist in the development of traditional medicine. ENDS