
By Precious Ukeje
The National Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers, NAPPMED, Njikoka Unit, has held its first ever self-organized workshop for its members at Enugwu Ukwu Civic Hall, last Wednesday. This is even as the body decried the treatment meted to its members by members of other professions, especially those in the medical, health and environmental fields.
The Chairman, NAPPMED, Njikoka Unit, Hon Christopher Okolo, told Fides that the motive behind the workshop was to imbibe members with requisite knowledge for their business, even as he regretted that they did not turn up en-masse when such workshops were organized by the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA; National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control, NAFDAC; Pharmacist Council of Nigeria, PCN; and other agencies.
Describing the workshop as internal and turn out of members, impressive, Okolo said they had made the workshop free, against the fees they paid when they attended workshops organized by external agencies. Members were also certified at the end of the workshop.
He said it was the reason for the large turnout of members, adding that some of them were not able or willing to pay the exorbitant fees and ancillary costs required to attend workshops organized by other agencies.
The chairman however hoped that at the end of the day’s workshop, members of NAPPMED would see reason to commit to workshops hosted by other agencies to learn first-hand, instead of waiting to be taught by the few who usually attended.
Fielding questions from the press, Okolo said that the continuity of such workshop which, he said, could happen biennially or as would be deemed fit, would depend on the impact observed among members at the end of the workshop.
On the areas he expected a big impacts on the lives of members, he said that he expected they would approach their businesses in a more professional manner, adding that some of them did not know the quality of services they provided and therefore treated such with a laissez faire attitude.
He added that the aim of the workshop was to teach them the value of life which was their priority, as well as how to make profit from medicine business which he described as lucrative.
Featured in the workshop were a series of lectures delivered by members and non-members of NAPPMED.
Chief Chimezie Ezeani of the Ministry of Agriculture who spoke on the “Effective management of patent medicine shop to boost quality health care delivery and increase profit”, described health as the state of being well in body and mind.
Adding his voice, the chairman emeritus, NAPPMED Njikoka, Chief Cyprian Odachi, advised all medicine dealers present to be good ambassadors of the association by carrying out their business with integrity and sincerity. He urged them to exercise utmost care in discharging their duties to ensure that they worked for the good of humanity.