Oussama Semmak, deputy health minister of Syria, and Hassan Emami-Razavi, deputy health minister of Iran, visited the Brazilian stand. At the site included the exhibitors and also the Brazilian ambassador to Syria, Edgar Cassiano, the secretary general at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Michel Alaby, and the organization’s director, Sami Roumieh. The space was organized by the Chamber and the embassy.
“Semmak asked about the price of an artificial breather by company Takaoka and immediately said that it was half the price of the Italian device that Syria usually buys,” said Alaby.
The secretary general also visited Avenzor laboratory, which belonged to the Saeb Nahas group, which owns 20% of the pharmaceutical sector in Syria. The laboratory is a great producer of generic medication and produces under license by multinational companies like Aventis, Pfizer and GSK.
According to Alaby, the secretary general at Avenzor, Mohamed Bashir Al Sabbagh, showed interest in the import of optical products and hormones, like insulin produced in laboratories of the National Union, whose representatives accompanied the visit.
“Dr. Bashir explained that the medication market in Syria had a turnover of US$ 650 million in 2009, growth of 12% over 2008, and the forecast for 2010 is for growth of 8% over the value for 2009,” pointed out Alaby.
According to the secretary general, the Syrian laboratory already exports to Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon. It is currently trying to enter the Saudi Market.
“The demand for medication in Iraq is high, as there are only two laboratories producing in the country. The demand in the Iraqi market is estimated to need approximately US$ 1 billion in medication in 2010”. Alaby also said that the Syrian laboratory and the Chemical Union should study forms of cooperation.
Syrian-Lebanese
On April 20, the Syrian Lebanese Teaching and Research Institute, which belongs to the hospital of the same name, and the Embraer Education and Research Institute, of the Brazilian aircraft manufacturing company, will inaugurate a laboratory that will help impoverished youths choose their professions.
The lab is part of the Pro-Bio Program, and will cater to students from Colégio Engenheiro Juarez Wanderley, a school in the city of São José dos Campos. The school is for disadvantaged youths and is maintained by the Embraer.
According to information supplied by the company, the school already offers guidance programs for the fields of human and exact sciences, and now, with the lab’s inauguration, it will complete the program with the health field.
Regarding the partnership, The Syrian-Lebanese Institute was responsible for devising all of the program’s educational content and research lines.