The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, has said the drugs used in the successful treatment of COVID-19 will remain a secret to the general public.
Ehanire said Nigerians may resort to self-medication and drug overdose if the name of the drug or drugs are released.
The minister said this while speaking at the daily briefing of the Presidential Task Force in Abuja on Friday.
He said: “The drug or drugs being used to treat COVID-19 are matters of interest only to doctors who are providing treatment.
“Doctors advise each other on which drugs they used and I believe as time goes on, they will compile a report on what worked and what didn’t work.
“As I said earlier, the treatment centres in Lagos are using certain drugs for clinical trial and they will be able to add from their experience to the body of knowledge and what worked and what didn’t work.
“I won’t advise anyone to look for the name of the drug used by doctors when you are not even sure you have that sickness.
“Disclosing name of the drug or drugs may lead to overdose,” Ehanire added.
Four COVID-19 patients were on Friday discharged after testing negative to the deadly virus.
The State’s Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, confirmed that a mother and her baby were among patients who were discharged from the hospital.
Meanwhile, the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, has confirmed the death of a COVID-19 patient in the hospital.
The Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Prof. Chris Bode, made this known in a statement issued by Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) of LUTH, on his behalf.
According to him, a man was brought unconscious to LUTH Emergency late in the evening of Wednesday, April 2 by his friend.
“Although they denied any history of recent travel, his presentation strongly suggested COVID-19.
“He was handled professionally by the Infectious Diseases Consultant and his team without unduly exposing LUTH staff to danger. He died a few hours later.
“Further investigations later revealed he had earlier performed a test at Yaba soon after he travelled back to Nigeria from Holland and the test was positive.
“He was a known diabetic hypertensive patient. He also had a kidney transplant for chronic kidney disease and was on immunosuppressant drugs.
“The corpse has since been handed over to the appropriate Unit of the Lagos State Ministry of Health for safe burial according to international best practices.
“Our Department of Community Medicine has moved swiftly to trace, follow-up and assist gallant staff who managed the patient,” Bode said.
He said that LUTH management implored all members of staff to continue observing strict standard protocols while handling all patients as medical personnel are especially at increased risk from such undisclosed exposure.
“All efforts are being made to ensure the availability of all required items to continue the effective management of such cases that come to LUTH.
“Efforts are also in top gear to complete the isolation facility in LUTH for management of any possible spillover from the Yaba Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) if the surge in patients’ load continues,” Bode said.