Covidex maker caps price at Shs12,000, warns on extortion
The manufacturer of Covidex, Jena Herbals Limited, has capped the market price of the product at Shs12,000, warning drug dealers against extorting money from Ugandans by hiking the product prices.
The move follows rising public outcry that many people are failing to afford the herbal medicine approved by National Drug Authority last week as supportive treatment for Covid-19, as prices go as high as Shs160,000 per 20mls bottle.
Addressing journalists in Kampala yesterday, Prof Patrick Ogwang, the developer of the product and founder of Jena Herbals Limited, said the high prices being charged per bottle of the medicine is against his agenda.
Extortionists warned
“We developed the medicine not to make money but to help people. When we developed Covidex, we anticipated the high demand that one can make a lot of money [from it] and become the richest Ugandan within few months,” Prof Ogwang said.
“But our company’s principle is to help humanity first… The factory price [of Covidex] is now at Shs6,000. Wholesalers can add like Shs2,000 to make it Shs8,000. Pharmacies can sell it at about Shs10,000 to Shs12,000. So that a full dose for an adult at Shs36,000,” he said.
But according to information gathered by this newspaper, each bottle costs between Shs30,000 and Shs160,000. But Prof Ogwang appealed to traders to desist from taking advantage of Covid-19 crisis.
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