E-DRUG: HAI Requests Government Documents on Generic Medicines Seizures
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[NGOs in the Netherlands are mounting a "Freedom of Information" request from the Dutch Givernment to seek evidence why Dutch Customs are repeatedly stopping shipments of Indian generics, destined for other developing countries, in Dutch airports. For more info on this campaign, see http://www.haiweb.org/02_focus_b.htm WB]
HAI Requests Government Documents on Generic Medicines Seizures
Health Action International has filed an official request with the Dutch
government, under the Wet Openbaar Bestuur (the Dutch-equivalent of a
Freedom of Information Act), to release all documents related to the
recent seizures of generic medicines in transit.
We hope to obtain documentation that will help to identify the operating procedures or events that allowed these seizures to occur and to determine why these seizures continued to occur over a period of time.
Without an open assessment of the actions of the Customs Authorities and
other departments within the Dutch government, it would be impossible to
rectify the breakdown that has enabled legitimately-traded generic
medicines in transit to be detained and, in some cases, destroyed.
We hope that by exercising the right to access the public documents
related to these cases, it will finally become clear how and why vital
medicines were prevented from reaching patients and consumers in
developing countries.
For more information on the Dutch seizures of generic medicines in
transit, please see: http://www.haiweb.org/02_focus_b.htm
regards
Sophie Bloemen,
Projects Officer,
Health Action International
Overtoom 60/II
1054 HK Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 20 683 3684
Fax: +31 20 685 5002
Email: sophie@haiweb.org
Website: http://www.haiweb.org