Coronavirus Scare: health workers face new challenge as chloroquine overdose lands scores in lagos hospitals
A declaration said to have originated from the President of United States of America, Donald Trump that went viral that Chloroquine can prevent and cure the deadly coronavirus disease that has killed over 10,000 people globally shutting down institutions has seen a lot of people storming chemists’ shops to procure the medication in Lagos.
LEADERSHIP gathered that over 20 residents of Lagos who resorted to panic and self-medication are currently hospitalized in various hospitals in state for taking overdose of the ancient anti-malarial drug.
A doctor in a private hospital located in Ikeja area of Lagos State told LEADERSHIP on condition of anonymity that a family of five had been hospitalised in their hospital for taking overdose of Chloroquine, urging the residents to desist from self -medication.
”Some people were rushed to this hospital on emergency. Imagine people are talking about COVID-19, an unconfirmed rumour that chloroquine can cure the disease people that have not contracted or tested positive to the disease started taking medication without prescription. There is urgent need for sensitization on this issue, it must be discouraged before people do more harm to themselves,” he said.
As the drug is sold out in Chemists’ shops due to panic buying, the Director-General National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Professor Mojisola Adeyeye said the agency has approved the production of Chloroquine for clinical trials in tackling the deadly Coronavirus.
Adeyeye told newsmen in Lagos on Friday that NAFDAC was not approving Chloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19 but for clinical trials to find treatment for the virus.
She said in the case of Chloroquine, it had been demonstrated in the literature and with clinical research which is still ongoing, that Chloroquine is superior to the Placebo.
“NAFDAC is not approving Chloroquine as a product that can be used for Coronavirus because there is no submission to us for registration but because it is under clinical trials, NAFDAC approves medicines meant for clinical trials.
“Therefore the medicine is being approved just for the clinical trials,” Adeyeye said.
She called on experts and researchers that were interested in doing a clinical trial on Chloroquine to approach approved outlets, adding that a drug company had been given an approval to produce chloroquine in batches.
“Right now, we have asked one company to make a batch of Chloroquine for the purpose of clinical trial,” Adeyeye added.
Confirming the development the state’s Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi has warned the residents against drug abuse, saying the state government will be conducting clinical trial on the effectiveness of chloroquine in the prevention or management of COVID-19 infection.
Abayomi noted that that the clinical trial is initiated against the fast spreading news that chloroquine could be effective in preventing and managing COVID19.
The Commissioner however said that the use of chloroquine drug, has not yet not been ascertained as an effective treatment of coronavirus disease adding that the state is still watching the global research space to clearly define the efficiency of the drug in the control of the diseases.
He said, “We do not have any hard evidence that chloroquine is effective in preventing or managing COVID19. We are watching the global research space to clearly define its efficiency in COVID19”.
Abayomi noted that chloroquine has significant side effects and should not be used without medical supervision as it may cause more harm than good.
He advised citizens seek to the advice of a physician and await the directive of the Ministry of Health on the use of chloroquine and not use it without medical supervision.
The Commissioner however urged the public to not to panic but strictly abide by the instructions of the government as the Government remains committed to the fight against the spread of the virus.
Abayomi appealed to citizens not to take advantage of the present situation on COVID19 to hike or hoard domestic consumables and enrich themselves.
He however urged members of the public to continue to be their brother’s keeper and join hands with government to curtail the spread of the virus.
“It is condemnable to use this situation to enrich yourselves by hoarding or hiking the prices of domestic consumables for profiteering. We should be responsible citizens in the quest to make Lagos disease free”, he said.
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