Activities carried out by the...

Activities carried out by the Lideta Branch Office during the first quarter of the 2019 fiscal year to safeguard public health and safety...

6/2/2019

During the quarter, the Branch Office verified that 66 health facilities, 58 pharmacies, and 356 food and health-related establishments met the required standards, facilitating the renewal of their certificates of competence.

Regulatory inspections were conducted on 21 health facilities and 573 food and health-related establishments to ensure compliance with laws and regulations, as well as to verify that they remain free from tobacco smoke.

As a result of these inspections, 213.3 kilograms of food and health-related products—found to have quality or safety issues—were disposed of, and administrative measures were taken against 9 food and health-related establishments.

Furthermore, in an effort to foster a workforce of competent health professionals who adhere to professional ethics, and to uphold a system of accountability, regulatory oversight was carried out concerning 77 health professionals. According to Mr. Belay Gebru, General Manager of the branch office, the primary objective of regulatory and certification activities is to ensure that the health services, food products, and health-related items accessed by the public meet the required national quality and safety standards, thereby preventing potential health risks to the community.

It was noted that the certification and regulatory activities carried out by the branch office serve to prevent health risks to the public by removing products and services that fail to meet quality and safety standards from the supply chain.

Mr. Belay further emphasized that, moving forward, ensuring that health institutions and professionals adhere to national quality and safety standards, maintaining the quality of food and health-related products, and strengthening the regulatory system are vital for public safety. He added that the public should take ownership of these efforts and act as partners in the regulatory process.