The Minister of Health held a press briefing last Wednesday during which she announced that no new pharmacy, no optical center, no medical analysis laboratory and no paramedical school will be authorized to open. Lyduine Baradahana indicates that the number of identical structures has exceeded the country’s needs and that there is a dysfunction and a violation of regulations. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

Minister Lyduine Baradahana indicates that there is an excess number of these structures and that all new accreditation requests are temporarily suspended.

« An anarchic establishment of health structures has been noted. Most of them are fraudulent, in addition to non-compliance with the standards in force, » she announced.

And she added, « The ministry notes multifaceted speculations relating to the sale and transfer of pharmacy care structures with falsified documents. They do everything to escape regulation, serve poor quality medicines and care, and employ unqualified labor. »

Only requests already registered before this measure was taken will be processed, she specified.

Pharmacists, for their part, say they support the decision. They say they have long advocated for serious involvement of the health authority in the establishment of new health structures.

Serges Harindogo, president of the order of pharmacists, points out that the lives of the population are threatened by people who trade in medicines without having the prerogatives. However, he asks that this measure be followed to the letter.