Hydroxychloroquine should be used as per guidelines: Govt

New Delhi: The government on Thursday reiterated that use of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) will continue as prophylactic treatment against COVID-19 in high risk categories and that this decision has been taken with “responsibility”.
NITI Aayog member (health) and head of COVID-19 medical management empowered group, Dr VK Paul said the findings of studies conducted in India show “benefits of the drug outweigh risks if any” and therefore, the guidelines issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for use of HCQ are “appropriate”.
“We are doing what we are doing with responsibility,” Dr Paul said, underlining that chloroquine is an old medicine with known efficacy and HCQ is even advanced and safer.
“We will also use it in treatment as per the clinical protocol. Have faith. We will also revise the guidelines as we keep getting relevant data,” Dr Paul said.
The comments come in the wake of many countries including France, Italy and Belgium stopping use of HCQ in COVID-9 patients, after the World Health Organisation suspended its use in clinical trials.
Dr Paul said WHO was not the only platform where the drug was being tried. Trials on HCQ and others involving HCQ are going on in many countries. Its effect in tissue culture is well known.
“We are closely watching the developments. We should continue using the drug with precautions prescribed in the guidelines,” he said.
ICMR Director General Dr Balram Bhargava on Tuesday had said India would continue to use HCQ as prophylaxis despite its suspension from the solidarity trial of Covid-19.
The DG said taking the biological plausibility, in vitro data and safety level of the drug, the ICMR had recommended it for empiric use under strict medical supervision about one-and-a-half months ago.
In India, HCQ is approved as prophylactic treatment for use in frontline workers involved in containment activities, healthcare workers and family members taking care of COVID-19 patients.