We Have Restored Calm To Gombe Isolation Centre – FG

The federal government says calm has been restored to the Gombe state isolation centre.

Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, disclosed this on Friday during the presidential taskforce briefing on COVID-19.

Recall that a few days ago, patients at an isolation centre in the state, had protested on a major highway for alleged failure of the state government to treat or give them any attention.

On his part, while responding to a question on herbal treatment for COVID-19 patients, Minister of State for Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora said there are pharmaceutical processes and standards that must be observed before endorsing any proposed herbal or homegrown drug for use by coronavirus patients in the country.

According to Mamora, the health ministry would soon meet with scientists, researchers, and traditional medicine specialists in the country who have registered that they have one drug or the other for the treatment of the lethal virus.

The minister said the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) would test such drugs to ascertain whether they are fit for human consumption or not.

Furthermore, he said the drugs would undergo clinical trials that require a few COVID-19 patients to willingly accept to use them.

“We are still on it. We are still collecting interests and research findings from those who have said they have herbal drugs for the treatment of coronavirus.

“A lot has been said on herbs and some other concoction prepared for the treatment of the disease but we can’t start administering it on patients as there are laid-down guidelines on the testing and approval of drugs before they are dispensed to patients.

“The first step is that NAFDAC must check the effectiveness of the drugs and examine if they are fit for human consumption.

“After NAFDAC certifies the drugs as okay for consumption, we will then hand it over to doctors and clinicians. But even before it gets to this stage, there must be volunteers for clinical trials. We have to test it on volunteers who will put it in writing that they accept to use it.

“After the clinical trials, we will observe these volunteers for reduced symptoms. We will record this and also examine the side effect of the drugs. We must observe all these processes, so it is not a quick one. We will hold a meeting with the people who have said they have one drug or the other for the treatment of COVID-19.