The Ministry of Health ordered a health official to explain for what he told the media about inspection results of Tamiflu scandal, said deputy health minister Trinh Quang Huan at a press briefing in Hanoi on September 21.

The ministry’s Legislation Department deputy director Nguyen Huy Quang must write an explanation about his revealing a report on inspection results of Tamiflu scandal to the media when the report was not approved by the Government.

The media released last month the report of Government inspectors who accused the ministry and four local drug makers of wasting financial resources because of overestimating the need for Tamiflu in November 2005.

Mr. Huan said the report had no legal validity because of lacking government approval and ministry’s opinion.

The ministry has ordered the destruction of a controversial reserve of over 9.7 million capsules of Tamiflu while some health experts say it is a waste, suggesting to recycling the drug because Vietnam, one of bird flu-hit countries, has high bird flu cases only after Indonesia.

In addition, avian influenza virus circulation and high load of other flu strains could lead to mutation and a human influenza pandemic. Therefore, the country planned to earmark US$211 million for fighting against pandemic for the period 2011-2015.

 
By staff writers - Translated by Quan Nhu
From SGGP Online