Liquiça, 29 december 2021 (TATOLI) – Timor-Leste’s Medical and Pharmaceutical Supply Agency (SAMES) had destroyed 207 expired items of the medicines, including 4.510 doses of expired AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines.
The destruction of expired medicines and vaccines was taken place in the Tibar dump, in Liquiça municipality.
“Today, we destroyed a total of 207 items of drugs that past expiry date, including 4.510 doses of expired AstraZene COVID-19 vaccines,” the Executive Director of SAMES, Santana Martins told reporters at the destruction scene, in Tibar dump, in Liquiça municipality, on tuesday.
“Due to Covid-19, the number of people visiting hospitals was smaller than the previous years. Therefore, this year we have more than nine percent of the drugs past the expiry date,” he said.
In addition, Martins said some of the drugs items were damaged during the April-4 flash flood.
Journalist: Felicidade Ximenes
Editor: Florencio Miranda Ximenes
Translation: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges Rosario
