Consumption Of Counterfeit Hormones, Medicines Sold Without Prescriptions May Have Severe Consequences

The inspection teams from the Joint Committee of the Council of Ministers, headed by the Undersecretary of the Protection Sector in the Public Authority for Manpower, have intensified their campaigns and are targeting all buildings and clinics to run a check on their licenses ensure their employees have a license from the Ministry of Health and the extent of their commitment to the Labor and the Residences Laws.

Al-Qabas quoting an informed source said more such campaigns are in the offing to flush out unlicensed workers who perform cosmetic surgeries or have established unlicensed clinics and offer treatment and consultations in several areas, especially in areas infested by loose workers.

It seems some people sell hormones to young people and adolescents, especially those who want to build their muscles, not knowing these hormones lead to health risks and may reach kidney failure and cause damage to their health.

Al Qabas toured several areas and discovered a number of markets have flourished which sell unlicensed hormones and nutritional supplements to adults and youngsters who wish to develop their muscles in real quick time awareness of the negative consequences of the wrong use of these hormones.

Despite the Ministry of Health’s statement that several medical and private centers and clinics, and nutritional supplement stores were punished in 2021, due to the presence of unregistered or expired medicines and cosmetics, workers in the sports field and health institutes seem to be unperturbed by these reports.

Al-Qabas said commercial shipping through individuals is the main door for importing these forbidden drugs and hormones that enter the country without medical supervision, and therefore difficult to control, but in fact some of them cause catastrophic health risks.

Some sports clubs, bodybuilding trainers, and pharmacies rely on selling these infringing products away from the oversight of the concerned authorities, as they refrain from selling them to any customer they do not trust or suspect.

Informed sources said most of the forbidden hormones that enter Kuwait come from China, Egypt, Sweden, and other countries, and their prices range according to their quality, but they start from 100 dinars per course and reach 300 dinars for some types that cause the growth of muscles muscle very quickly.

The sources added, unlicensed hormones are considered a source of income for some sports clubs and their employees, where athletes, especially bodybuilders, inject these hormones into their bodies, and sometimes these hormones are supportive and are used as pills next to nutritional supplements that are not licensed by the Ministry of Health.

Trainees in sports clubs pointed out that some teenagers who want to have an ‘athletic body’ fall victim to these hormones unaware of the long-term consequences.

Doctors indicated that some drugs which are used to enlarge muscles in certain areas of the body are a disaster for the vital organs of the body, pointing out that medical organizations warn of their danger to the kidneys, liver, heart, and lung, in addition to their contribution to affecting fertility and spreading cancer cells in the body quickly in some cases.

Consultant Internal Medicine at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Ghanem Al-Salem, warned of the dangers of taking medicines or nutritional supplements without a prescription, indicating that this causes serious complications for those who take them, which may lead to death or kidney failure and other complications.

Al-Salem told Al-Qabas some social media accounts actively promote these products and nutritional supplements that may harm those who use them away from medical supervision, noting that the efforts of the Ministry of Health are continuing to address this phenomenon.

Regarding the effects of the wrong use of these supplements, Al-Salem indicated that taking an excessive dose of vitamin D, for example, may cause poisoning and have effects that increase heart rate, and immune defects, and in some cases may lead to kidney failure and sometimes death.

He added, that taking zinc without a prescription and in an overdose may lead to health setbacks, anemia, vomiting, chronic headaches, and fever, as well as fatigue, abdominal pain, and severe constipation, in addition to muscle movement defects and difficulty breathing.

Al-Salem pointed out the need to stay away from any medicines or nutritional supplements without a recommendation by specialized doctors, in order to avoid the occurrence of serious complications, noting that the commercial aspect dominates those who promote these supplements and medicines through social media.

Al-Salem listed four dangers of what he called ‘ Incorrect Use of Supplements’
1 – Excessive intake of vitamin D may cause poisoning
2 – Some supplements cause a high heart rate
3 – Immunodeficiency and some cases develop kidney failure
4 – Zinc overdose may cause anemia and fever

 

SOURCE  :   TIMES KUWAIT

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