The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah says government has reached out to Madagascar to make available to Ghana its supposed COVID-19 herbal remedy.
According to him, when received, the product will undergo strict testing by appropriate authorities in Ghana to prove the efficacy or otherwise of the drug.
Speaking on GTV on Tuesday in a programme dubbed “#AskTheInfoMinistry on Assessing Government’s Response to the Covid19 Pandemic,” the Minister said: “We are considering it [the herbal cure]. We have reached out to them [Madagascar]. We have asked that it [should] be made available to us and like all drugs, it will be tested by FDA and in this case by the Center for Plant Medicine and if proven efficacious, we can recommend its use.”
Government had been lambasted after the Ministry of Information’s official Twitter handle wrongly quoted Oppong Nkrumah as saying that “We have received the Madagascar cure for COVID-19 and we are testing it for efficacy.”
The Ministry subsequently clarified the post saying those were not the exact words of Oppong Nkrumah but failed to apologise for the gaffe.
Background on Madagascar’s herbal cure
Madagascar’s President, Andry Rajoelina, launched a herbal coronavirus “cure” which has become the subject of discussion with many expressing divergent opinions about its efficacy.
The “COVID- Organic” is produced from the artemisia plant, the source of an ingredient used in malaria treatment and other Malagasy plants.
Andry Rajoelina has been actively promoting the plant-based tonic, COVID-Organics.
Source: Citinewsroom
