A local company, Ermintes enterprise whose cotton wool medical product has been abruptly recalled by the Zambia Medicine Regulatory Authority – ZAMRA has expressed shock at the medical regulators unilateral decision which will result in perpetuating the culture of frustrating and killing of local companies in Zambia.
Medicines manufacturing and supply in Zambia is largely dominated by foreign multinational entities with no clear policies to support local participation in the value chain. As a result, the country continues to spend millions of dollars on imports, perpetuating pressure on the local unit – the Kwacha.
ZAMRA through acting Director General Makomani Siyanga on 13 September 2022 issued a urgent public notice of a nationwide product withdrawal of white rose absorbent cotton wool hospital grade produced by Ermites Enterprise Ltd, for non compliance with microbiological contamination and labeling requirements.
However Ermites Enterprise Zambia Limited Director Chrispin Musokelo said he finds the statement that ZAMRA has published to be very derogatory as the company has supplied this product for medical use from 2009 (over 12 years). For ZAMRA to claim that they have received complaints from the public about the poor quality of white rolls cotton wool and even stating that “if you suffer any reactions, seek medical advise immediately” is a sad development for a product that has performed for all these years.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Musokelo said all cotton wool on the market are non-steralized be it from the UK, India or China, the cotton is none sterilized that is what is being sold on the market. Additionally, ZAMRA has not shared any standards for cotton wool.
“When I started operations in 2009, I went to Zambia Bureau of standards – ZBS who told me that there were no standards of cotton wool. At the time I started production, Zambia had no standard for cotton wool and if they have today, then I need to see or be availed that publication and also know when it came into effect.” he complained.
The Ermites Director explained that there is no where the Bureau of standards claim that their cotton is terrorized and when it has to be used for applications like surgical operations in an operation theatre that’s when every product now is terrorised.
“So what I don’t understand is what specifications have I not met? I need to understand what are the accepted levels or standards or requirements, because telling me the levels should be zero is not there. Anything which is sterilized is always kept in the tight and closed container and once you open it, it is no longer terrorised.
Musokelo is a former ZESCO employee and now an entrepreneur told ZBT that “I decided to leave employment not because I was fired, but because I wanted to do business, because that is where my passion is as an electrical technician.
He said, “according to the letter Ermites received from ZAMRA, they started investigations in May and concluded in July 2022 and they are only telling me now in September? all this time they had the results? why didn’t they communicate to me?.”
Ermites enterprise Director expressed worry that ZAMMSA got samples and tested them without his involvement and consent. “Where did they get the samples? and what proof is there that the cotton they tested is my cotton and not other suppliers cotton?.”
“I starting this business in 2009 and I have run this business since then. But in 2016, we had an incident were a some of my staff team members I had who now are now my competitor stole from me the sum of K1.2 million. After stealing from my company, they started making the same product as mine and the matter went to court and up to now it has not yet been concluded.” He said.
Musekolo disclosed that he suspects the same people who stole from him and started making competitor products to be the ones behind this whole thing. They may be behind this whole agenda and may have influenced ZAMRA. When asked to name the company, he declined to share the names and company as the matter is still in court.
Musekelo said he run out of raw materials since April and he has not been producing as he only received the raw materials at the end of August 2022, and now that he is about to resume production, that’s when ZAMRA recalls his products. “The situation and announcement does not make sense, because am I have not been availed the results from the analysis and what they found. They [ZAMRA] have also not shared the standard which has not been included in the latter.”
