The Police, with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), has arrested two persons and seized 431 bottles of two unregistered herbal medicinal products, purported to treat COVID-19, from them.

The two: Dr Abdellah, Director of Dr Abdellah Herbal Home and his Research Assistant Dr Abdul Samad Bin Musa, are now assisting the police in their investigations.

A Statement issued by the FDA and signed by Mrs Delese A.A. Darko, Chief Executive Officer of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) in Accra, said the two products seized by the Authority had been labelled "COVID Cure one and COVID Cure two".

It said the products were manufactured by one Dr Abdellah Herbal Home at Kojo Ashong, a village near Amasaman in the Greater Accra Region.

Both products bear a forged FDA registered number FDB/TMPO3709 on them and have March 2020 and March 2021 as their manufacturing and expiry dates, respectively.

"This breaches Sections 113 (1) of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851)," the statement said.

"A visit to the manufacturing premises reveals that the products were manufactured under unhygienic conditions, which is also in contravention with Section 115 (16) of the Public Health Act, 2012, (Act 851)".

It said that the results of the laboratory analysis on the products conducted at the FDA's ISO 17025-2017 accredited laboratory revealed that the products "do not meet the requirements of Total Aerobic Microbial Counts and Total Yeast and Moulds Count as per the British Pharmacopoeia Specification, which makes the products unsafe for use."

The quality, safety and efficiency of these products cannot be guaranteed by the FDA since the products have not been registered by the Authority.

The FDA reiterated that: "It has not registered any product for the treatment or cure of COVID-19 and, therefore, cautions the general public against patronising such products.

Manufacturers, producers, distributors are to ensure that their products were duly approved before putting them on the markets, it cautioned.

The FDA assured the public of its continued protection of the public in terms of food, medicine, household chemicals and medicine devices.

"The general public is encouraged to report all concerns to the FDA on its social handles and phone numbers 0299802932, 0299802933 and 0206973065."