Kindly allow me space in your widely read newspaper (The Daily Observer). The government of the Gambia through the able leadership of His Excellency, the President Dr Alhagie Yahya AJJ Jammeh has taken health as a high priority in his agenda of development. Despite the President's and the government of the Gambia's efforts to promote health in our dear motherland, health is still a big concern in the country.

This is because there are so many unscrupulous elements who venture into drug hawking. It could be recalled that the government of the Gambia through the Department of State for Health has over the years given numerous warnings about the sale of pharmaceutical drugs without a prescription or valid licences. This was done to discourage the sales and purchase of drugs from unauthorized or unlicensed persons so as to reduce drug resistance and uncountable drug related problems. The sales of pharmaceutical drugs in the streets can result to so many dangers that can be life threatening. However, it is still a common practice for some people who have taken the sales of these drugs as a livelihood. This is no doubt a dreadful act and should be discouraged. It is sad to note that the people who are hawking these drugs don't even know the essence of the drugs, their indication, dosage, side effects or even their contra-indications. They just carry them in a transparent plastic bag and move with them from place to place particularly around the ferry crossing terminals. This practice is commonly seen in Bambatenda and Yellitenda crossing points in Farafenni.

However, this practice is also happening in Banjul and the surroundings. Looking into their storage facility, most of the drugs lost their quality and sometimes expire without the knowledge of the hawker and yet they sell them to people. Health has, over the past years, placed an embargo on the issue of medicinal license to veteran nurses and medical practitioners to deter nurses from leaving the job but up to now they have not effected any change on this practice of drug hawking. I want to draw the attention of the relevant authorities to look into this issue critically. I think it makes little or no sense to put an embargo when the worst is happening. It is also interesting to note that if you go to most of these local pharmacies, most of the drugs you find there are those from Guinea Conakry, Nigeria, etc and these drugs are licensed for import to only those countries. People go to these countries and smuggle them in. It is best known to them how, in the first place, they escape the immigration or the border control officials. I think it's high time for us as Gambians to stand up and help the government to fight this away.

The government under no circumstances can be able to do this alone. It is our responsibility as a nation to join hands and complement the effort of the government. Furthermore, the medical and health should lift the embargo on people who served the field and has valid documents to be able to operate under the rules of the license, a pharmaceutical drug store. If this is done, I have no doubt that it will completely annihilate this health hazard in the country. I thank you so much for giving me a space.