The Federal Ministry of Health has refused to talk on the number of applications it sent to NAFDAC for approval of COVID-19 locally developed drugs.

Efforts to get the ministry comment on the issue failed as several calls and a follow-up text message sent to the ministry’s Director of Press, Olujimi Oyetomi failed.

He neither picked calls made to his mobile telephone line or responded to a follow-up text message.

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Oyetomi had just assumed duty in the ministry last Monday, following his redeployment to that effect.

Also, the Technical Adviser to the Minister of Health, Dr. Chris Isokpunwu, who had promised to get the response of the Minister on the subject matter, failed to fulfill it.

He later told Vanguard that he had no detailed information on the number of applications sent yet to the drugs and food regulatory agency.

“Honestly, I don’t have that information yet so I won’t be able to give you what you are looking for now”, he said.