Health Minister Hon Ruth Aceng Reveals The Strong Drug Doctors Are Using To Treat Covid-19 Patients At Mulago Hospital.
The Ministry of Health is using hydroxychloroquine as a treatment drug for patients that are receiving COVID-19 treatment at three health facilities. The drug is an antimalarial used to treat mild forms of malaria, but can also be used to treat lupus and arthritis.
Health Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng told a press conference in Kampala - Uganda, that, even if hydroxychloroquine is still undergoing testing, it has the ability to stop the spread of the disease by stabilizing red blood cells so that uptake of oxygen by hemoglobin is promoted.
This is important since the virus affects the lungs by attacking receptors and entering the blood cells and stopping uptake of oxygen hence causing respiratory difficulty. Dr Aceng says the drug has helped to improve the situation of Uganda’s patient zero, who has been receiving treatment since March 21.
She says the index case no longer has a temperature or any symptoms after using the drug. He is stable and likely to be released next week since he no longer has any symptoms. Uganda has a total of 53 confirmed cases who are now being treated at Mulago National Referral Hospital, Hoima General Hospital and Adjumani hospital.
According to pharmacists, hydroxychloroquine is a much better stable drug compared to Chloroquine that was used as an anti-malarial drug in the late 90s.
Comments
Post a Comment