Abaya: Biron is ‘father of sub-standard meds’
Liberal Party Secretary General and Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya today said Iloilo Rep. Ferjenel Biron deserves the title “Father of Sub-Standard Medicines” instead of being the “Father of the Cheaper Medicines Law.”
Abaya said Biron and his family owns Philippine Pharmawealth Inc. and Pharmawealth Laboratories that former Health Secretary Alberto Romualdez suspended from getting medicine supply contracts from government hospitals and agencies.
In 2000, one female patient – Prescilla Galao – died and four others were forced to undergo emergency hysterectomies to remove their uterine after taking the methylergometrine maleate in the Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital in Tagbilaran, Bohol supplied by Pharmawealth
“Wala po siyang karapatan sa titulong Father of Cheaper Medicines. Baka ‘father of substandard and deadly medicines’ pa (He has no right to the title Father of Cheaper Medicines. Maybe he can claim to be the ‘father of substandard and deadly medicines.’),” Abaya said.
“Marami nang pasyente ang namatay o napinsala nang husto dahil sa bulok na gamot na ibinebenta ng kanyang mga drug company. Hindi ko alam kung matatawag mong ‘fatherly love’ iyon (Many patients have died or have been badly injured because of substandard medicines being sold by his drug companies. I don’t know if you can call that ‘fatherly love’),” he said.
Doctors of public hospitals in Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Antique and Rizal, and regional officials of DOH and the Bureau of Food and Drug (BFAD) in Cagayan de Oro City, Davao City, and Guimaras have complained also against substandard medicines supplied by Biron and Pharmawealth such as aminophylline injections, epinephrine, hydrocortisone sodium succinate, nifedipine, metronidazole, among others.
In March 2003, the DOH through Health Undersecretary Alexander Padilla took Pharmawealth to notice as its medicines being supplied to public hospitals again failed sterility tests conducted by the BFAD.
“How can that congressman claim being the father of cheaper medicines when all he did in his business was to supply substandard medicines,” Abaya asked.
