A 57-year-old man, who developed complications after testing positive for Coronavirus, has reportedly died in Toamasina, a city in Madagascar. The spokesperson for the Covid-19 operational command center, Hanta Vololontiana, confirmed the development, saying that the man died on Saturday.
Two other people who are also down with severe Covid-19 complications remain in “in intensive care,” the OCC spokesman added. Despite widespread reports on social media that Madagascar was Covid-19 free, 21 new cases of the disease were confirmed in the East African country yesterday, bringing the total to 304 cases, since confirming its first case on March 19, the Malagasy press agency reported.
Speaking on the effectiveness of the country’s tonic in a recent interview with France 24, President Andry Rajoelina, said: “COVID-Organics is a preventive and curative remedy against COVID-19. It works really well and it is as a result of the research carried out by the Malagasy Institute of Applied Research, which has the status of an original research centre.”
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19, Boss Mustapha, disclosed that the PTF would be sending the Madagascar herbal mixture to NAFDAC for analysis. Mustapha said the Malagasy formulation against Covid-19, which the President of Guinea Bissau, Umaro Embalo, presented to President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday, would be handed over to NAFDAC today for the commencement of trial process.
He, however, reiterated the comment of the president while receiving the drugs that they would not be administered until they have been scientifically proven. “I understand it’s been brought by…I will take delivery probably tomorrow (today), Monday. The president has already said it will be scientifically dealt with; it is only after that that he can allow it to be tested. But that has been our position that whatever comes in, whatever cure, whatever solution that is being provided must be subjected to a process of validation.
“The Minister of Health has institutions under his ministry that are charged statutorily with the processes of validation. Anything that we will receive, anything that is locally developed must go through the processes of validation before we will allow it,” he explained.
