Africa-Press – Botswana. The Botswana pharmaceutical industry has been hailed for joining the world in ensuring that medical devices and pharmaceutical products needed to combat COVID-19 were available.
Speaking during a workshop on medical devices hosted by Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) in Gaborone on Thursday, the advisor for Integrated Health Services at the Ministry of Health, Dr Karabo Thokwane recognised the medical device industry for adapting well to the current occupational ecosystems brought about by COVID-19 that resulted in the global slow movement of supplies in countries.
Dr Thokwane, therefore, applauded companies that identified the circumstances as an opportunity to set up manufacturing sites locally to ensure production of medical products or devices that covered a wide range of supplies needed in the healthcare system.
She said Botswana imported all its pharmaceutical products and biomedical equipment from different geographic locations such as Europe and Asia, hence imperative for stakeholders to stimulate local production as well as develop effective linkages through licensing and agency agreements with those that held patents and rights of such products or devices.
Dr Thokwane pointed out that for Botswana to achieve active participation in the pharmaceutical and medical devises global trade ecosystem, compliance to standards was paramount.
She, therefore, said the industry as a whole needed to collaborate more with the BOBS, adding that in doing so they would contribute effectively to the Reset Agenda as well as the national aspirations espoused by the national Vision 2036.
“Access to good quality, affordable and appropriate health products is indispensable to advance universal health coverage, address health emergencies and promote healthier populations,” said Dr Thokwane, adding that without medical devices, common things such as bandaging would not be possible.
Dr Thokwane said there were estimated two million different kinds of medical devices in the world market, adding that medical devices were considered a fundamental component of the health system.
She further highlighted that medical devices applications in healthcare systems continued to increase as they were essential part to prevent, diagnose, treat and rehabilitate illnesses and diseases in a safe and effective way.
She said steps involved in their manufacturing, regulation, planning, assessment, acquisition, and management were complex, but it essential to guarantee their quality, safety and compatibility with the environment in which they were used.
Dr Thokwane acknowledged BOBS and members of the technical committee in their efforts and achievements thus far, saying they expedited the development of standards for the devices that were used to combat the pandemic, for their active participation at regional and international level to ensure that Botswana had access to latest trends on medical devices, information shared and encouraging business community to venture into local production of the devices.
She also hailed government for intensifying efforts to lure international pharmaceutical players, saying that demonstrated the determination of government in strengthening international partnerships in the drive to improve livelihoods of Batswana through sustainable development.
Since the medical products industry was a multi-billion dollar one, she said there were opportunities for small, medium and large businesses and encouraged Batswana to venture into them to help leap-frog the economy to high income status.
She commended BOBS and Botswana Medicine Regulatory Authority (BoMRA) for their collaboration in ensuring standards were implemented through regulations, and encouraged all to implement and promote use of standards.
Welcoming participants into the workshop, the managing director of BOBS, Mr Botsile Kebapetse said good health and wellness were basic human rights and conditions for development, adding that Botswana recognised the need for the improvement of the health sector.
Mr Kebapetse said for that reason they found it fit to bring all key stakeholders to share relevant information in implementing standards for medical devices, ensuring that quality medical products were available in markets as well as to share opportunities available to explore.
He said BOBS had an important role of ensuring that government regulations were implemented with ease through availability of standards and timely conformity assessment services.
Mr Kebapetse said in 2020 when COVID-19 hit the globe, Botswana joined the world in ensuring that products needed to combat the pandemic were available, and they implemented the use of mask (BOS 845:2022), hand sanitizers (BOS 844:2020).
Mr Kebapetse said they had since noted the continued increase in small and medium enterprises interest in the manufacturing and packaging of medical devices including increased appetite for the relevant standards, which has resulted in 20 requests for standards on medical devices since the beginning of May 2020.
“To that end, 14 standards have been developed in this field and are available for purchase,” he said.
Mr Kebapetse said BOBS would continue commitment to ensure for participation in the international and regional standardisation work continued to bear fruit, adding that to date, more than 100 standards had been adopted from international standards bodies, while 21 unique standards were awaiting approval at regional level.
The medical workshop was held under the theme; Resetting Priorities and Approaches to Ensure Availability of Medical Services in Botswana’.
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