By AFP
Cracks are appearing in Madagascar’s government after its health minister requested international help to cope with a surge in Covid-19 cases despite an official campaign to promote a touted fix for the virus.
The government has been distributing a herbal drink that President Andry Rajoelina has proclaimed as a cure for coronavirus and protection against it, despite warnings the brew has not been clinically tested.
Hospital officials in the capital Antananarivo have said they are running out of beds as infections have surged in recent days.
“The government would like to express its dismay at the discovery of a letter signed by the minister of public health urgently requesting support in the fight against the Covid-19 epidemic,” government spokeswoman Lalatiana Rakotozafy said in a statement dated Tuesday.
In a letter addressed Monday to donors, Health Minister Ahmad Ahmad made an “urgent appeal” to development agencies.
“Over the past weeks, the Covid-19 epidemic has evolved in a very critical way in Madagascar with notable flare-ups in certain regions, particularly in Antananarivo,” it said.