Tobias Sylvester
Federal Government has called on coronavirus survivors to stop revealing the details of the drugs used for their treatment, so they don’t encourage self-medication.
Following the recent revelations by the founder of DAAR Communications, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, who revealed that he was treated with malaria drugs all through his stay at the isolation centre.
Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, expressed concern that some of the testimonies disclosing the prescription for treatment could encourage patients to indulge in self-medication instead of seeking help from health authorities.
Speaking at a press briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Mustapha said:
“The PTF congratulates and appreciates the testimonies of Nigerians who have recovered from COVID-19, which has given us more insights and further strengthens the need to adhere strictly to guidelines issued.
“However, an emerging issue from all these testimonies is the issue of prescription for treatments. We should always remember that the symptoms of COVID-19 mimic some illnesses we already know but treating the symptoms is not the same as treating the virus. For this reason, we strongly discourage self-medication,” Mustapha said.
He further stated that five states in the country are currently participating in the ongoing World Health Organization (WHO)-coordinated solidarity trial to find a cure for the pandemic.
Mustapha noted that at the end of the trial, relevant health authorities would make statements on acceptable drugs for treating COVID-19.
KanyiDaily recalls that the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire had revealed that the drug used in treating coronavirus patients in Nigeria is an anti-retroviral medication called ‘Remdesivir’.
Remdesivir was originally developed as a potential treatment for Ebola and has been adopted by the government as of the options for treatment of COVID-19 patients.
