Covid-19: Tanzania to subject Madagascar medicine to clinical trials

What you need to know:

Speaking today at a joint news conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's foreign affairs minister Prof Palamagamba Kabudi who led the team to Antananarivo said the task at hand starting from today is to research and analyse the medicine before putting it to use.

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania will not administer the medicine which was yesterday collected from Madagascar on patients until a clinical trial has been carried out by the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR).
Speaking today at a news conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's foreign affairs minister Prof Palamagamba Kabudi who led the team to Antananarivo said the task at hand starting from today is to research and analyse the medicine before putting it to use.
“I want to make it clear among Tanzanians that we haven’t come with medicine to distribute among the citizens, rather we have brought a consignment for research and analysis,” said Prof Kabudi
According to him, the eight red colored boxes consists medicine produced for prevention purposes while the four green colored boxes consist with the medicine for use by those confirmed to have contracted the disease.
“They didn’t provide us the medicine that is ready for use. Nobody in the delegation tested the medicine, it was only me with my Madagascar counterpart just as the demonstration of our respect for the donation,” he said.
He reiterated that the medicine has come for preliminary research and analysis that will be done by a team of Tanzanian experts who will be assisted by other on the President’s instructions.
The rush to get the medicine was a quick one the minister’s phone has not stopped ringing since he returned.
“I have received many calls, WhatsApp messages as well as many text messages from people requesting for the medicine. Please, I have no medicine with me for distribution. We have come with a consignment that allow us to do some research and analysis,” said the former University of Dar es Salaam don.
He insisted that it is a scientific medicine, that’s why they were accompanied by experts.