Paulina Quintao – National MP Leonel Marcal called on the Ministry of Health to ban private pharmacies from selling formalin to the community without a medical prescription.
He said this measure should be adopted because the misuse of formalin may be having a negative impact on people's health.
"The government should establish the regulation. Anyone buying formalin need to get a doctor's prescription so it cannot just be sold to anyone. We must do what we can to protect people's health," said the MP at the plenary of National Parliament.
There are allegations that some members of the community are buying formalin to preserve dead bodies because the hospitals do not provide it but also some people are using formalin to preserve fish and mean longer for sale to the community.
The MP as a consumer has grave concerns with this situation because mean and fish being sold in markets and supermarkets may contain formalin. She added this situation needs to be looked into by the state urgently.
Meanwhile, the General Director for Health Development, Ministry of Health, Dr. Odete Viegas acknowledged that it is easy for the community to buy formalin because this has not yet been regulated.
Dr. Viegas added currently the ministry of health is developing guidelines for the sales and purchase of formalin so that it can only be dispensed with a doctor's prescription.
"Formalin is used to preserve dead bodies but if it is injected in food that people consume; this is cause long terms ill effects that may develop into various chronic diseases," she said.
She acknowledged just recently the ministry of health received information about food contamination with formalin spreading in the markets.
A joint ministry of health, ministry of commerce, industry, and environment including the National Laboratory collected samples for testing but results have not yet been released.
She added if results showed contamination with formalin, the ministry would then take appropriate measures against suppliers and those selling contaminated food.
She also cautioned the community that health inspectors will conduct routine inspection to markets, supermarkets and restaurants to ensure the good quality of food on sale to consumers.