…May & Baker applauds FG’s duty waiver

By Chioma Obinna

On this year’s World Hypertension Day, the Managing Director of May & Baker, Mr Patrick Ajah warned about the prevalence of undiagnosed high blood pressure in Nigeria, silently contributing to a surge in sudden deaths and heart attacks.

Speaking at an awareness event organised by the company, Ajah lamented the tendency of many Nigerians to only seek medical attention when severely ill, by which time elevated blood pressure is often discovered.

“Most of the people we are going to check their blood pressure, their results will be very high, and they are walking around without knowing. So this is a day to sensitize people of how important it is to check their blood pressure as a way of preventing a slew of situations.”

While acknowledging the efforts of local pharmaceutical companies like May&Baker in producing more affordable alternatives to pricier original drugs developed by multinationals, the expert highlighted the significant impact of currency devaluation.

“With the recent devaluation of our currency, it is very difficult for people to afford these medications.”

He further cautioned against the misconception that hypertension medication can be stopped once blood pressure stabilizes. “The truth is that anybody who has been put on hypertensive drugs may be on them for life.”

He pointed out the dangerous trend of patients discontinuing medication only to face severe health crises later.

While acknowledging the government’s recent move to waive customs duties on imported raw materials for local drug manufacturers, and the plans t for a pool fund, crucial steps aimed at reducing drug costs, he appealed for payment consistency.

“My warning is, as with many other things that the federal government has done, consistency. It costs money to produce these drugs. When you make us come down on price, it means we are compromising our profits. If you don’t pay us, it’s not going to last,” he declared, referencing past experiences of unpaid debts stretching back five years.

“Companies have been reluctant because some of the times we’ve done this in the past, we’ve been bitten because our money was not paid,” he revealed, urging the Minister for Health and relevant authorities to ensure timely payments to avoid further collapse of local pharmaceutical companies.

“Many companies have collapsed in recent times. It’s not good. We need to increase the capacity of being able for local companies to take care of our people instead of depending on foreign companies, but if you do not encourage the local companies, it’s not going to work.”

Despite these concerns, he lauded the government’s initiative on duty waivers as “fantastic” and confirmed its ongoing implementation.

“I can already tell you that if you were to pay, even if it’s 5 percent duties on something like Prastamore, if you were to pay 5 percent duty and maybe pay VAT and all of that, I can tell you that a 40-feet container, you probably will be saving more than 20 million,” Ajah explained, noting that this measure has already prompted some companies to reconsider planned price increases.

In addition to medication, he  emphasised the importance of lifestyle modifications, including age-appropriate exercise and healthy eating habits, as crucial preventive measures against hypertension. Regular yearly checkups, especially for individuals over 40, and careful monitoring of family and diabetic history were also strongly recommended.

He  called for early detection through regular blood pressure checks, coupled with affordable and consistently available medication, all vital in combating the silent killer threatening  many Nigerians.

Some of the special guests at the event include the Director of Medical Services, Health, and Safety at LAWMA, Dr. Modupe Okoh; Officials from Ikeja LGA,Dr Folashade Tawak.

Medical Officer of Health(MOH) and Director Planing,  Research and Statistics (DPRS) Health District VI;  Mrs Olusola Adenariwo Deputy Director Community Health Service for Ikeja LGA, Mrs Adeseun

Director, Health Education Unit Health District VI, Mrs Olakunmi Agboibon Principal Environmental/ Occupational Health and Safety Officer, LSG along with other representatives from the Ministry of Health Lagos.