Anti-malaria drug is helpful for treating coronavirus patients: CEO Mayo hospital

LAHORE: Mayo Hospital’s  Chief Executive Officer (CEO),  Dr. Asad Aslam has claimed that Chloroquine, a medicine used to treat malaria, is helpful for treating coronavirus patients.

In a statement Dr. Asad Aslam claimed that they treated all patients through chloroquine and the patients recovered following the treatment.

He said “A total of 82 patients of coronavirus were admitted at the hospital since March 23 and treated them all with chloroquine. Almost nine patients have been discharged and none of them complained of any side effects due to chloroquine,” he added.

He said that after China, now the hospitals in Punjab are also benefiting from the use of the medicine. Earlier, US drug authority had approved limited, emergency-based use of two antimalarial drugs, chloroquine and hydroxyhcloroquine, for treating coronavirus patients.

The number of total coronavirus cases jumped to 2037 in Pakistan on Wednesday while 26 people died due to the disease.

The number of coronavirus cases has crossed over 600 in Punjab, forcing the government to arrange and provide necessary medical facilities to control the outbreak.

A slight increase was witnessed in number of recovered patients as it stands at 58 while 10 people are said to be in critical condition in the province.

Punjab is the most affected province in Pakistan with 708 cases. The coronavirus deaths in Punjab stand at nine after two patients died in Rawalpindi and one in Mayo Hospital yesterday.