By Omar Bah
The Medicines Control Agency (MCA) has announced the closure of Innovarx Global Health, effective February 2nd, 2024, for “serious noncompliance issues.”
According to the MCA, during an inspection on February 1st, 2024, Dr Ismail Badjie, the CEO, obstructed MCA inspectors, leading to police involvement. The MCA alleged that Dr Badjie refused to allow the confiscation of “illegally imported medicines.
In the face of police officers, Dr. Ismail Badjie remained resolute in his refusal to permit MCA inspectors to seize unregistered and unapproved medicines that had been illicitly brought into The Gambia. Despite claiming to originate from the United States, these medications were produced in India, China, and Taiwan. They had yet to undergo sufficient testing before being disseminated to the public, posing a significant danger. The inspectors notified Dr. Badjie that his establishment would be closed and requested that he report to the MCA Office, but he declined to comply.
According to the MCA, throughout the presence of the MCA inspectors at Innovark, they were constantly harassed and obstructed by Dr Badjie, who took photos and videos of them without their consent and threatened to upload/post them on various social media platforms.
“Dr Badjie carried out his threat by posting the photos/videos of our inspectors on various social media platforms, making false allegations against MCA. The Management of MCA would like to clarify to Dr Badjie and his surrogates that MCA cannot be intimidated by their social media ramblings.
On the following day, February 2nd, the MCA Inspectors and three police officers, including the Station Officer from Bakau Police Station, revisited Innovarx to advise Dr. Badjie to comply with MCA regulations to prevent further escalation. Dr. Badjie was left with no alternative but to allow MCA to take action, which led to the closure of Innovarx and confiscating all illegally imported medicines, which were found to be substandard and falsified, to protect public safety.
According to the MCA, expired medicines were discovered on the shelves of the Innovarx dispensary, which serves patients. Despite previous warnings, the MCA also alleges that Dr. Badjie has repeatedly broken the law by advertising medicines without approval. The MCA advises the public to avoid seeking medical and pharmaceutical services from Innovarx until further notice. The statement, signed by MCA executive director Essa Marenah, assures the public that the MCA will continue prioritizing the quality, safety, and efficacy of all medicines and related products in the Gambian market.
In response to the closure, Innovarx Global Health CEO Dr. Ismail Badjie expressed his disappointment with the decision and shared that it was based on arbitrary and unreasonable administrative penalty fees retroactively imposed on healthcare imports. These fees, which exceed $10,000 per year for each of Innovarx’s 400+ US-sourced medicines, were implemented as part of obscure new requirements that have had a paralyzing effect on the company’s ability to serve patients. Dr. Badjie also noted that the closure appears to be a disproportionate and targeted censure of a single company, as similar interventions have not been reported elsewhere in the industry.
As an entrepreneur striving to enhance healthcare accessibility, Dr. Badjie said he frequently encounters obstacles hindering progress for startups that aim to improve affordability and quality. Recently, my company faced severe regulatory actions that appeared to be motivated by malice and aimed to impede our operations using minor technicalities. These unjust tactics, unfortunately, reflect typical schemes that leverage compliance to stifle emerging competitors. Entrenched insiders misuse their power in many nations to obstruct new entrants who threaten established healthcare networks. By weaponizing bureaucracy and selectively enforcing rules, they derail more efficient models that could benefit underserved communities. For years, pioneers have been thwarted by extortionate paperwork requirements and exaggerated fees that price out challengers.
Dr. Badjie argued that innovation cannot thrive when playing fields tilt sharply. “As we rebuild following years of stagnation, The #Gambia must shed decaying business practices that serve the connected few at the expense of mass welfare. All sectors need unified standards applied evenly, not weaponized against threatening competition. Healthcare especially requires room for experimentation improving affordability and access.”
