The Ministry of Health issued a new decree on Friday effective immediately prohibiting all exports of pharmaceutical products except by written approval from the Minister Constantinos Ioannou, the CNA reports.
According to the new decree, it has been put in place “for the protection of public health and the health care system, with the aim of limiting the spread of COVID-19, preventing the possible collapse of the health system taking into account the human resources and logistical requirements that will be needed to face a potential rapid spread.”
“There is an urgent need for safeguarding and maintaining sufficient stocks of medicinal products in the Republic to serve the needs of the population and to avoid shortages at home,” the Ministry said.
According to the decree, “no export of medicinal products from the Republic to any other country, including Member States of the European Union, will be carried out from now on, except after obtaining written approval from the Minister of Health.”
“For the purpose of applying the above Regulation, in any case where medicinal products intended for export from the Republic to another country being or that will be shipped, the Director of the Customs Department will send to an official of the Ministry of Health designated for this purpose by the Minister of Health, all relevant documents relating to the export of the medicinal products, for review and approval or rejection,” it was added.
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