Lebanon's Pharmacists' Syndicate head, Joe Saloum, held a press conference at the Syndicate's headquarters, attended by MPs Elias Grady and Cynthia Zarazir, lawyer Saad al-Din al-Khatib representing the head of the Bar Association, Fadi al-Masri, and the Syndicate's lawyer, Philip Kyrillos, as well as members of the Syndicate and several media and social figures.
During the conference, Saloum addressed "the campaign of threats and defamation" he is facing from a media outlet and others, outlining "all the circumstances and objectives related to the Syndicate's examination of the issue of counterfeit dietary supplements for children, pursuing legal action to prohibit their dispensing in pharmacies until a decision is made by the competent authority, namely the Ministry of Health." He noted that the defamation campaign coincides with the timing of the Maronite League elections.
In a statement to "Wardna," Saloum said: "As the Syndicate of Pharmacists, we have done our duty and more. We stand at an equal distance from both parties: the company and the accused pharmacist, while the judiciary makes a decision based on the truth. We have submitted everything we have." He added, "What matters to us today is the health of our children, and this file is in our hands. If the Ministry of Health issues a decision regarding the safety of these drugs and supplements..."
He continued, "We have started today with the issue of dietary supplements and will soon address the quality of medicines, cancer drugs, and others. If the price of the presidency of the Maronite League or any other political position is the health of children and patients, we choose the health of patients and children, and we welcome the presidency of the League or any other political position."
He further stated, "If they think that the presidency of the League or any political position means bowing down and compromising on other files, we say they are mistaken. For us, political struggle and reaching any position is a true resistance and a victory for truth over falsehood."
He concluded: "As the Syndicate of Pharmacists, we have done our duty and more, standing equally between the company and the accused pharmacist, while the judiciary decides based on the truth, and we have delivered everything we have. What matters to us is the health of our children, and this file is in our hands. If the Ministry of Health issues a decision confirming the safety of these drugs and supplements, we will issue a directive to dispense them. If the health authority's decision is to prohibit them, we insist on the directive we issued. If our dignity comes at the cost of children's health, we sacrifice our dignity for the health of our children, and we, with the truth, are the majority."
