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Magistrate to rule on expired HIV testing kits matter today
Davendra Rampersaud
Kaieteur News – Magistrate, Zameena Ali-Seepaul, is expected to rule today on the matter for the pharmaceutical supplier, who is charged for supplying fake HIV testing kits to the Ministry of Health (MoH).
The defendant, Davendra Rampersaud, Technical Consultant to Caribbean Medical Supplies Inc., is the representative who is facing the charge in the Leonora Magistrate’s Court.
The company, Caribbean Medical Supplies Inc., of Area ‘G’ Hydronie Railway, Parika, East Bank Essequibo, is one of the country’s largest pharmaceutical supply companies. The charge was brought against the company last year by the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD).
According to information provided, Magistrate Seepaul, has conducted her trial and the evidence in the matter was presented to the court. The Magistrate is now expected to hand down her ruling on her findings today.
On his first court appearance, Rampersaud denied the charge which alleges that on January 16, 2020, Caribbean Medical Supplies Inc., allegedly sold and supplied 400 units (20 packs) of Uni-Gold HIV Test Kits, Batch #HIV7120026, with misleading representation, a violation of the Food and Drugs Act of 1971.
Rampersaud, is charged for selling and supplying the devices with misleading representation, which is a violation of the Food and Drugs Act, Cap 34:03 part V section 18 (1) of 1971, to Materials Management Unit located at 55-56 First Avenue, Diamond, East Bank Demerara.
According to reports, a quantity of the testing kits was seized by the GA-FDD from the Materials Management Unit of the MoH at Diamond, East Bank Demerara, and from local hospitals and laboratories.
This publication had reported that the probe was launched into the fake HIV testing kits after an Irish manufacturer wrote to the former Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, during January 2020, warning that it is aware of counterfeit Uni-Gold HIV test kits in Guyana.
The Irish company supplied photographic evidence, which indicated clearly that the kits expired since July 2019. In its complaint, the company, Trinity Biotech, named Caribbean Medical Supplies Inc., as the company that was allegedly supplying the expired testing kits.
According to the company, the fake boxes were created with expiry dates extended by 17 months and the kits repacked in them. Trinity Biotech said that the products were already six months out of date when they were brought to Guyana. The company further claimed that its Trinidad-based authorised distributor, Transcontinental Medical Products Limited, is the only authorised distributor for the Uni-Gold kits to Guyana.
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