By OLIVER SAMBOKO and SANDRA MACHIMA
AUTHORITIES should act and get rid of fake sanitisers and hand wash liquids on the market as this has potential to compromise the fight against Covid-19, Zambia Consumers Association (ZACA) Executive Secretary Juba Sakala has said.
Mr Sakala said they have received many complaints that some hand wash liquid used in some places has negative reaction on the hands such as peeling off skin and hot feeling after washing hands.
He called on the Public Health Department in local authorities, the Pharmaceutical Association of Zambia and the Zambia Medical Regulatory Authority to carryout snap checks at all manufacturers and ensure that those producing fake hand wash liquids account for their actions.
“As an association we are appealing to relevant authorities to carry out inspections as quickly as possible and act on those who will be found wanting because their action has potential to compromise the Covic-19 fight as the public will start shunning these products thinking they are all fake,” Mr Sakala said.
He said flooding the market with fake hand wash liquid and sanitisers by unscrupulous people was not only criminal but also going to defeat the whole purpose of using these products in containing and preventing Covid-19 from spreading.
Mr Sakala said Government should also ensure that the chemicals being` used to sanitise passengers in commuter buses were genuine as there was a possibility that some bus owners were using substandard sanitisers as a way of cutting down costs.
He said ZACA will continue working with Government in ensuring that consumers are protected from bad elements whose only aim was to make profit at the expense of public health.
Mr Sakala also said the association was happy that Government had reduced duty on Ethanol, the raw material used in making sanitisers and hoped that manufacturers would pass the benefit to the consumers by reducing the price of their products.
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