‘Coronavirus can be treated with homegrown herbs’

Dr. Qazeem Olawale, a University of Ilorin graduate of Biochemistry, Indian-trained natural medicine expert and neuro-acupuncturist, has garnered many educational qualifications and experience in the field of Naturopathy. He obtained his natural medicine doctor (NMD) qualification from the Indian Board of Alternative Medicine, India and bagged his doctor of medicine degree in Acupuncture from the Open International University for Complimentary Medicine, Medicina Alternativa, Colombo, Sri-Lanka. A member of the British Council of Complimentary Therapies (TBCCT), and Medicine Alternativa (OIUCMED), the Chief Executive Officer, Olaking International Holistic Medicine Company (OIHM) spoke with ADELOWO ADEBUMITI on herbal cure for COVID-19 pandemic.

What is your position on the Federal Government’s move to subject Madagascar’s COVID Organic herbal cure to clinical tests for probable use in Nigeria?
My position is not an advisory rather it is a complementary statement to the steps the Federal Government has taken about a week now. We can see that the government is making efforts by fostering collaboration between the Traditional Complementary and Alternative Medicine arm of the Ministry of Health and NAFDAC to call on traditional medicine professionals who have a cure for COVID-19 to submit it for testing. This is indeed a very good move that we must commend. But if this had come earlier, it would have been better as it would have helped in the nation’s fight against coronavirus. 

However, I honestly think the government is yet to have sufficient believe in traditional medicine practitioners of this great nation who are learned and professionals in their practice. In point of fact, gone are the days where we can hardly find learned practitioners in this noble field of medicine. Unknown to many, natural medicine practices is changing very rapidly for good every single day; but the Federal Government’s support will only make it better and safer. 

It really embitters that we can embrace a solution from Madagascar even though we have everything it takes to develop and produce locally made herbs that will aid in the fight against COVID-19. Long before Covid Organics was produced, the call had gone far and wide, pleading with the Federal Government to recognise the traditional medicine in the fight against COVID-19. We are giants of Africa and we should be the ones leading in innovative and integrative ways of attending to problems like this.

You recently shared some content on your business social media pages asking the Federal Government to give you room to treat Coronavirus. Have you really developed a cure?
To start with, it is important to recognise the fact that coronavirus is a global pandemic, which requires everyone’s support to overcome. Without doubt, the Nigerian authorities in charge of managing this virus have been doing well in identifying cases nationwide and working round the clock to combat the virus. But the fight against this pandemic may not be successful if we do not begin to look in the direction of integrative medicine. As a biochemist and natural medicine doctor leading a team of other natural medicine healthcare professionals, what good does it do if we do not add our meaningful and informed contribution to the fight against COVID-19? If given the opportunity, we have a lot to offer with integrative medicine approach as our indigenous herbs also have what it takes to combat this novel virus.

So what do you want government to do? 
We want to work with the Federal Government and we hope they allow us to work with them. Over the past years, we have been able to help well meaning Nigerians in the fight against some diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, cancer and asthma, among many others, through our different types of therapies. In fact, we as practitioners at Olaking International Holistic Medicine (OIHM) Company practice not less than 10 therapies, part of which includes herbal medicine, acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, cupping and Islamic medicine therapies, to mention just a few.

Our call is that the Nigerian government should give room for integrative medicine where we combine both existing treatment methods with natural medicine approaches and remedies. We believe this will go a long way to help in treating Nigerians of this pandemic.

What are the treatment remedies you have developed for COVID-19 patients?
Firstly, it should be said that the practitioner who does not combine and employ all that is good in each and every system of diagnosis and treatment is not worthy of the confidence of the public. On that score, I practice or employ much therapies other than my herbal medicines so far they are good, as there is no branch of medicine that is self-sufficient to cure especially chronic or viral diseases. This is very important because some patients already have underlying health issues prior to contracting COVID-19 and of course the symptoms are distinct amongst them; some do not even have symptoms yet. It should be noted that my call is and has been an integrative system of medicine whereby natural medicine will be employed alongside the orthodox medicine. This I know would surely bring remarkably, outstanding recovery rate in patients with life-threatening diseases.

Has your approach or treatment been scientifically proven?
My approach is not scientific but my remedies have been scientifically proven to be safe and non-toxic at optimum doses and dosages. There is a clear difference between treatment approach and treatment remedies. My approach is based on the fact that says, “the body is self-curative” or “there is healing power within”. Most people realise, however, that the body is self-curative where a cut or broken bone is concerned; but they fail to understand that this is also the case with diseases as a whole.

It is not possible to cure a virus with scientific approach because orthodox medicine is guided by cellular pathology and considers that endogenous and exogenous causes operate in the production of disease, the constitution of a patient has no significance and causation are considered supreme, primary and worthwhile. In orthodox medicine, all patients suffering from the same disease are treated alike with special regard to the complications. Whereas in natural medicine, every sick individual is different with regard to his constitution, cause of his sickness and peculiar character of his disease.

Have you treated anybody suffering from the pandemic successfully?
HIV/AIDS is a global pandemic and had since been said to be incurable. I have cured HIV and HBV patients successfully with my multifaceted and broad-spectrum regimen and this is why I so much believe that I can cure COVID-19 if given the opportunity. My knowledge and understanding of natural medicine principles and philosophy has really helped me to successfully treat, manage or cure many diseases.

In natural medicine, we do not focus on the germ or virus but on the ‘soil,’ which they thrive or multiply. Our major interest is to remove the filth, which is the breeding ground of germs. Nature cure does not deny the existence of germs but it does not admit the idea that germs are the cause of diseases. Germs do not begin the trouble; they appear and flourish only where there is accumulation of morbid and toxic materials.

Coronavirus is not special and is not difficult to deal with if only we can focus on the above philosophy and make sure we view the patients as individual entities. In light of this, if a patient has a disease prior to contracting coronavirus, we will take into consideration both the disease and the newly contracted coronavirus, otherwise the inherent forces within him will lose the fight because his vitality may be too low; his injury or morbid encumbrance may be too great; harmful or inadequate treatments may have been given.

What is the proof of the efficacy of your cure?
For the efficacy of my remedy for COVID-19, I sincerely have no iota of doubt about it. My belief is that SARS-Cov-2 (cause of COVID-19) will only replicate when the ‘soil’ in which it occupy is accumulated with toxins which then will result to lowered vitality, abnormal composition of blood and tissue damage.

As such, the fundamental cure of COVID-19 will only be achieved by increasing the vital energy within, raising the vitality (immune system), purifying the blood stream, removing the morbid matters from the body through the organs of elimination, and modulating local inflammation in the respiratory tissues hence recruiting specific antibodies against the virus. I have severally used this principle for many so called incurable viral diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, herpes, etc., and it has actually been successful.

My remedy is a mixture of more than 10 Nigerian herbs having Euphorbia unispina as one of the major active ingredients. What’s more, the remedy is anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant, antipyretic, expectorant, analgesic, depurative, antibiotic and detoxicant.

NAFDAC is saying nobody has applied for the testing of his/her drug. Does it mean you have not applied to the agency for clinical trials and certification of your remedy?
Efforts have been made to no avail. I’m hopeful my product will get to NAFDAC at the appropriate time so that necessary testing and clinical trials could be carried out on it.

Personally, I’m ever ready to submit my solution, which is a combination of over 10 Nigerian herbs to the necessary agency for testing and approval. And I also want to encourage my fellow practitioners not to relent in their support to the Federal Government in all ways possible in this fight. It is not the fight of the government alone. It is a fight of the whole nation and we must do everything possible in our knowledge and practice to ensure that we save the lives of Nigerians and the wellbeing of the nation during this global trying times. We have what it takes to treat coronavirus patients with our homegrown herbs. More than ever, we need all the support we can get from the government so as to provide healthy solutions in the fight against COVID-19.

How can coronavirus be prevented naturally?
In natural medicine, the major ways of preventing diseases, not just COVID-19, are by eating healthy foods, maintaining proper hygiene, exercising and taking natural supplements. All these are purposefully to increase the system’s vitality and keep the immune system at optimal level in order to be able to fight against germs and diseases. Coronavirus had really made the world think more of prevention than cure and more of environmental and personal hygiene than finding cure.

Nature cure does not deny the existence of germs but it does not admit the idea that germs are the cause of diseases. Germs do not begin the trouble; they appear and flourish only where there is accumulation of morbid and toxic materials. This means that COVID-19 wouldn’t have existed if the laws of nature are duly abided by and practiced with maximum honesty.

The most effective and natural way to prevent diseases is by consuming lots of cleansing and hormone-balancing foods. Avoid cooking fruits; strive to eat fruits on empty stomach and don’t peel the skin off when you can eat it. Eat fruits separately to help digestion. Take cabbage raw, take fenugreek, oats, millet, mustard and peas. Take non-starchy vegetables such as green pepper, collards, cucumber, broccoli, cabbage and spinach. Take fish, beans, brown rice, walnuts, almonds and garlic (don’t take if you suffer from low blood pressure). Drink enough water daily. Each morning, drink a glass of pure water with one squeezed organic lemon followed by two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Incorporate alkaline forming foods into your diet such as vegetables, olive oil, lemons, limes, asparagus, onions, parsley, raw spinach, garlic, broccoli. Minimise acid forming foods in your diet such as milk, blackberries, cranberries, beef, pork, cheese, ice cream, cashews, white rice, corn, buckwheat, white sugar and artificial sweeteners.

Stress and negative thoughts can also cause an acid environment, avoid it. Consume at least 75 per cent raw foods. Cooking, frying or heating foods at high temperature destroys precious enzymes and this leads to accumulation of toxic waste the body can’t get rid of and causes lots of health problems.