By Balogun Damilola
Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has informed that he has authorized the use of chloroquine as a medication for the treatment of coronavirus, COVID-19. Governor Mohammed, who was the COVID-19 index case in the state, said he was treated with “chloroquine and Zithromax.”
The governor, who disclosed this while providing an update on COVID-19 in the state, at the Government House, Bauchi, said he would take responsibility for any consequences of approving such drugs.
He said “Our medical team is using their own ingenuity to use chloroquine and Zithromax to treat the patients, even though in some places, they said it is against the protocol. As the governor, I’m taking responsibility for that because I don’t want anyone to die.”
Addressing the health officials directly, Mohammed said, “I have given you the directive that you must use something that I have used to get well, just as you have used for all other cases that got well. Rather than saying that something is harmful, we should not follow what the white people are saying by not taking anything and die. We are used to taking chloroquine in Nigeria. We are going to use them. We have taken responsibility and I have taken responsibility. Zithromax and chloroquine are not harmful to our body, our physiological system has adapted to it. If you are having a fever you take chloroquine.”
According to him, “Nobody is affected with any serious distress in Bauchi, even though now we are going to be tested with the 23 cases.”
Ruling out a total lockdown that involves curtailing of all movement and commercial activities, he said: “community participation in the enforcement of social distancing works out best for the government and people of Bauchi. We have noticed that total lockdown is not a solution and I still maintain that community consciousness, communal efforts, and professionalism of our health workers in terms of contact searching and testing are key to curbing the spread of COVID-19. Yes, we don’t have a lockdown for now, but I still believe when the need arises, we will do it.”