COVID-19 treatment; EXIMBANK/Tobinco partnership laudable

AS the global search for COVID-19 treatment heats up in various laboratories, different antiviral and other drugs are being used by medical practitioners to help infected people recover.

Some of these drugs have proven to be efficacious in aiding the recuperation of more than one million people out of the over 3.35 million cases recorded as of yesterday.

Unfortunately, over 230,000 people have passed on to eternity since the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus, started spreading in December last year.

In Ghana, out of the 2,169 confirmed cases, 229, representing about 10 per cent have recovered and discharged with 18 others dead, whereas more than 1,000 people are responding well to treatment.

Two drugs helping the treatment of infected people globally are Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin. Their efficiency has made them, especially Hydroxychloroquine, a sought after commodity.

However, these, medicines are not produced on a large scale locally while the value of the drugs have surged on the international market due to their acclaimed potency.

It is in view of this that the Ghanaian Times applauds the collaboration between the EXIMBANK Ghana and Entrance Pharmaceuticals and Research Centre, a subsidiary of the TOBINCO group of companies, to mass produce these drugs.

According to the story on our front page, EXIMBANK is set to advance a $5 million facility to Entrance Pharmaceuticals and Research Centre, based at Spintex, a suburb of Accra for the project.

The project, when actualised, would boost the country’s capacity to treat more infected people who are currently receiving treatment at various facilities and homes across the country.

This means that the chances of a good number of the infected patients recovering faster is now higher than ever before, an indication that with adherence to safety protocols, the country would be out the woods soon.

This is welcoming news because as the case count increases in the country, the recovery rate has been an issue of concern to many, especially when there is no certified cure or vaccine.

The ability of various institutions in the country to find a cure and even a vaccine for COVID-19 has never been in doubt but the lack of financial investment has often been a challenge.

The EXIMBANK’s facility to TOBINCO, one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the sub region, would give TOBINCO a shot in the arm to rise to the occasion and do more in the fight against the virus.

 They have shown the way and we urge other financial institutions to provide similar support to our research institutes so they could come out with a vaccine and cure for COVID-19.

We look forward to the outcome of the EXIMBANK and TOBINCO partnership and wish them all the best.