20,000 cancer pills were cleared by Vietnam Customs in only one day

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Illustrative photo.

Related to the information on 20,000 cancer pills which were destroyed, on the afternoon of 5th May 2017, the General Department of Vietnam Customs issued official information to the press.

According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, the shipment was declared under the name as Tasigna (nilotinib) 200mg hard capsules; including 34,608 tablets; 24-month term (production date was June 2013 and expiration date was May 2015). The shipment was delivered and donated by Novatis Pharma AG Company for the Ho Chi Minh City Hematology and Blood Transfusion Hospital.

According to the Bill of Lading No. 740135202-2 and the Bill of Lading No. 7401351230, the goods were loaded onto transport means (aircraft) for transportation to Vietnam on 23rd July 2014. Thus, at the time of shipment to Vietnam, the remaining term was under 12 months (produced from June 2013).

However, on 1st August 2014, the Ho Chi Minh City Hematology and Blood Transfusion Hospital issued the Official Dispatch No. 1275 / TMHH-KHTH to the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department to implement Customs clearance for the shipment (with the term under 12 months) for humanitarian reasons.

Then, on 6th August 2014, DHL – VNPT Express Company opened 2 Customs declarations for importing the above shipment to the Ho Chi Minh City Hematology and Blood Transfusion Hospital.

Customs officers have received procedures for 2 Customs declarations (No. 051586 / PMD and 051587 / PMD) for importing aid medicines, attached with Official Dispatch No. 4448 / SYT-QLD of 6th August 2014 with the opinion about the remaining duration of the drug in accordance with the current regulations. Both declarations were cleared on 7th August 2014.

The General Department of Vietnam Customs confirmed that the shipment of drugs had a very short term to use when completing the import procedures, not because the Customs officers prolonged the time to carry out procedures. For humanitarian reasons, Customs officers quickly implemented Customs clearance of the shipment in only one day from the date of registration of Customs declarations. At the same time, Customs officers complied with the regulations and opinions of the specialised management agencies (the Drug Administration Department – the Ministry of Health) about the remaining duration of medicines when arriving at Vietnamese port.

According to the above information, the period of the time of production of medicines (June 2013) to the time of shipment to Vietnam (July 2014) was more than a year.

Reportedly, in over one year (the shipment was still overseas), the aid recipients and the specialised management agencies had to exchange documents before allowing the hospital to receive the above medicines.

Specifically, on 15th July 2013, the Ho Chi Minh City Hematology and Blood Transfusion Hospital received a letter of donation for patients. On 28th November 2013, the hospital issued the Official Dispatch No. 639 / TMHH-KHTH to the Drug Administration Department of Vietnam (under the Ministry of Health) to receive lots of aid medicines from Novatis Pharma Company.

On 12th December 2013, the Drug Administration Department of Vietnam issued the Official Dispatch (20956 / QLD-KD) to disagree the hospital to receive the shipment due to the lack of legal documents of competent authorities and some other documents.

On 10th March 2014, the HCM City Department of Health issued Official Dispatch No. 1187 / SYT-KHTH to the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City to request to receive the aid shipment. On 24th June 2014, the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City issued Decision 3126 / QD-UBND to approve the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health to receive the aid shipment of medicines.

On 14th July 2014, the Drug Administration Department of Vietnam issued Official Dispatch No. 11978 / QLD-KD to permit the hospital to receive the shipment. It clearly stated that "the expiry date must not be less than 12 months".

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After being approved by the Drug Administration Department of Vietnam, on 23rd July 2014, the shipment was transported to Vietnam. On 6th August 2014, the shipment was opened Customs declaration and was cleared by Customs officers on 7th August 2014 as mentioned above.