Al-Jazirah newspaper

The wholesale market for medical supplies continues trading despite the poor quality of the goods that are sold. It has been like this for around 10 years, which is wrong. Those involved in the medical supply sector lack experience and care only about making money. We cannot ignore this fact, as it is an important sector that affects all of us.

These traders sell products that are similar to good quality products, and members of the public are unable to distinguish between what is good quality and what is not. In the 1990s, some Arabs would lead you to pharmacies that had been opened by people who had some “knowledge” about medicine because they had been guards at a warehouse where medicines were stored. These people lacked medical expertise and English language skills. However, it was believed that they would be able to provide the right diagnosis and so people always approached them. Fortunately, the era of such so-called “diagnosis” has come to an end but the trade in poor supplies is still ongoing.

It is upsetting that these low-quality medical supplies are still being made and traded in the market. Some of these supplies are recycled and sold as if new. I have seen a lot of these stores when walking in the streets in Riyadh. We should be manufacturing quality products instead employing people who lack any knowledge and expertise in medicine. We should stop being greedy and care more about people instead of focusing on profits.