Bitter Pills:Medicines & The Third World Poor | Page 222

pharmaceutical specialities. Against the supply of these items, we purchase from Bangladesh
goods such as molasses, textiles, industrial gloves, wheat grain for animal feed, jute and jute
goods, wet blue skin, tea, cutlery, for none of which it is easy to find a ready buyer. We can
even claim that we provide aid to Bangladesh through our contacts with customers for these
goods by supplying know-how to that country, for example in the manufacture of textiles and
for the production of cutlery. We feel this should be mentioned in order to complete the picture
of our activities in the country ..." (Drs. Mehrhof and Niederehe, E. Merck, personal
communication, 29 March 1982.) But the former Director of Drug Administration questions
how much the barter arrangement is really helping Bangladesh in exchanging mainly finished
medicines (many of which are "non-essential") for commodities (like jute, jute goods, tea
and hides) which are 'easily exportable items, and if sold in the open international market
would fetch valuable hard foreign exchange." "The statement that import of E. Merck products
does not cost us a penny in foreign exchange is mischievous." (Dr. H.K.M.A. Hye, personal
communication, 20 April 1982.)
92

Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, "Import Figures of Pharmaceuticals
Raw Materials for the calendar year 1980".

93

Hye, 10 August 1981, op. cit.

94

Expert Committee, Bangladesh, op. cit., p.92.

95

Ibid.

96

Pascale Brudon, "L'lndustrie Pharmaceutique Suisse dans les Pays sous developpes", Memoire
presente pour le diplome de recherche en etudes de developpement, Institut Universitaire
d'Etudes de Developpement, Geneva, 1981. Of the 36:13 are for psychiatric and neurological
use; 7 cardiovasculars; 3 antibiotics; 2 anti-cancer drugs, (p.211)

97

Ibid.

98

Ibid., p.202.

99

Ibid., p.203. Sandoz has a similar vanilla-flavoured preparation Meritene amongst its bestselling products in Mexico (p.207).

100

Ibid., p.257.

101

See Chapter 10.

102

Information Research Limited, "Opportunities for Pharmaceuticals in the Developing world
over the next Twenty Years", June 1980, p.7.

CHAPTER 4
1

Dr. &