-NMA fumes, NAFDAC lauds Madagascar‘s initiative
President Muhammadu Buhari, Saturday, has just received the much noised Madagascar herbal drug, at the State House, Abuja, from President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea Bissau.
Receiving the Madagascan made herbal mixture for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in the country, Buhari insisted that the formulation will be subjected to scientific validation before it will be administered on citizens.
The Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, had earlier kicked against the development, saying it is counter-productive, as it is seen as an act to discourage local research and development towards getting solution to the pandemic.
In a health policy advisory jointly signed by NMA president, Dr Francis Faduyile, and General Secretary, Dr Olumuyiwa Odusote, the association said such a move was bound to discourage local research efforts.
“The acceptance of the herbal remedy from Madagascar ‘Covid Organics’ by the federal government is an act of pulling all stops in search of remedial interventions in protecting the lives of our citizens.
“We appreciate the concerns of our colleagues in the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) and bemoan the situation where Nigeria appears to be lagging and not leading the black race’s response against the pandemic”, the association lamented.
On the contrary, the National Agency for Food and Drug, Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has hailed the Madagascar’s government for believing in their local herbs and using them, while criticising Nigerians for not utilising theirs.
The NAFDAC DG, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, in a report of the News Agency of Nigeria, said : “We are proud of them (Madagascar). They appreciate what they have. We do not.
“All the herbs they have and are using, we have them. But we do not use them the way they are doing.
“They appreciate their brains and use them. We must do same here if we want to develop as a nation,” she stressed.
Adeyeye, regretted that Nigeria had consistently depended on what others were bringing to it, and emphasised the need to look inward for solutions to our concerns.
President Buhari however reiterated that his position on all such herbal or traditional medicinal postulates remained the same.
According to him, “We have our institutions, systems and processes in the country. Any such formulations should be sent to them for verification. I will not put it to use without the endorsement of our institutions. ”
