Awamedica is the 'Pride of Iraq'

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Awamedica seeks to stamp out the inferior medicine circulating the country.

This week, the first manufacturing medicine company in the history of Kurdistan, Awamedica, will send its products to the local market.

"Up to now I have worked in eight famous manufacturing medicine companies--this is one of the best," said Dr. Kumar Prasad, from India, manager of Awamedica Plant, as he spoke about the process of producing medicine.

"Here we have all the necessities; research and development laboratory, main laboratory production areas, and quality control; we can produce different kinds of medicine without calling for any help from the outside," said Dr. Prasad, who has 29 years of experience in pharmacy.

Awamedica Pharmaceutical Plant, which is a private manufacturing company, proclaims to be committed to quality and to meeting regulatory GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards in manufacturing, packaging, and testing of the products.

The plant opened in October 2009; a delegation from the Iraq Health MinistryIraq Health Ministry recently visited the plant and in described it as the "pride of Iraq."

The "Globe" visited the plant to learn about this and other issues concerning medicine in Kurdistan Region and Iraq at large.

It was necessary to build an excellent pharmaceutical plant in the country in order to eliminate poor-quality medicine, said the general manager of Awamedica, Dr. Bahram Resul.

According to Dr. Resul, the majority of medicines imported into Iraq are of inferior quality since there is not a strong quality control system in the country. Moreover, he added, economically it is better to depend on ourselves rather than send all the money to other countries.

Awamedica produces tablets, capsules, liquid, creams and dry powders; the plant has a laboratory, quality control, research and development department, marketing, and storage.

"We are confident that Awamedica will be very successful and will gain a reputable name in terms of quality," said Dr. Resul, who also mentioned that they will not let any Awamedica products be exported until they can ensure top quality.

Dr. Resul, a Kurd, graduated from the Baghdad College of Medicine in 1968. Due to the Kurdish issue in 1975, he fled to Sweden. There he continued studies in pharmacy, and then he worked in number of pharmaceutical manufacturing companies in Sweden such as Visor, which produces new medicine. He was also a university lecturer. He developed a new medicine called Xalatan for glaucoma.

"Mr. Nechirvan Barzani [ex-prime minister of Kurdistan Region] asked me to come back and build this project; he gave me all the support I needed. If not for him, it would have been impossible to build this project," he said.

This week, the company will send its first production to the local market; this includes paracetamol, antibiotics, tablets for the stomach, and vitamins for pregnant women.

Awamedica possibly will confront a huge challenge by businessmen who import medicine into Kurdistan region, since Awamedica demands the government not allow businessmen to import poor-quality medicine--particularly the same medicines that Awamedica produces.

In Iraq as well as Kurdistan Region, there is lack of public awareness concerning famous medicine manufacturing companies in the world and the negative impact of medicine used improperly. In Iraq, a person can go to a pharmacy and buy any kind of medicine, even without a doctor's prescription.

"The Ministry of HealthMinistry of Health should not let every kind of medicine enter this country; only those medicines that are produced by famous companies and approved by the World Health Organization and the American Food and Drug Administration should enter," Resul said.

About 80 people work in Awamedica, 30 are foreigners; most are from India, where they previously worked in pharmaceutical companies.

"When they told me about this project I was in Africa. I said before making any decision I have to know the people and the country, and then I came to Kurdistan Region in 2006," said Dr. Parsad. "I saw this was a noble project in a country where there is no company to manufacture medicine."

All those from India working in the plant were brought to Kurdistan by Dr. Parsad: "In the beginning it was difficult for me to convince them to work in this project, because it is in Iraq. But now they see it is a great opportunity for them."

© The Kurdish Globe 2009