The dismissed health minister, Ramadan Abu Janah, has defended a controversial cancer drug shipment from Iraq, stating it was requested directly by oncology hospitals.
Speaking in a televised address published on his official Facebook page, Abu Janah clarified that the company involved in the deal is registered with the Health Ministry’s pharmacy department and that all procurement steps were followed through the proper legal and administrative channels.
He noted that the shipment has not yet entered Libya and remains unpaid, pending standard quality checks by the Food and Drug Control Authority.
The National Cancer Control Authority, however, has distanced itself from the shipment. Its Director of International Cooperation, Abdulmunem Al-Barasi, reiterated the body had no involvement, saying: "We were neither consulted nor informed at any point."
Abu Janah also criticized Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah’s recent dismissal of health officials, describing it as unjust to two senior staff—Deputy Minister Tawfiq Al-Darsi and Nursing Director Fatima Al-Wafi—who, he said, had no role in the medication procurement.
The Cancer Control Authority had previously denied importing any medications from Iraq or other Arab or Asian countries, calling for transparency in the ongoing investigation.
