MUMBAI: Residents of civic wards in Mumbai with a high number of coronavirus cases will be given hydroxychloroquine tablets as a preventive treatment, the state government said.The decision to administer HCQ, which has become a controversial therapy option across the world, was taken after consulting physicians and the health department, Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope said on Wednesday.The drug will not be given to children below the age of 15 and people with pre-existing medical conditions such as heart disease and liver ailments. Residents of Dharavi , Worli Koliwada and Jeejamata Nagar will be the first to get the drug.Maharashtra, and especially Mumbai, have recorded the highest increase in the number of daily cases in the country. The state has the highest fatality rate related to Covid-19. HCQ is an anti-viral drug that is taken by patients of lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, an auto immune disease. Physicians across the world are divided over its usefulness in treating Covid-19 patients.The Indian Council of Medical Research has recommended the drug as a prophylaxis or preventive drug for high-risk healthcare workers only. However, the health ministry last month recommended use of the drug in combination with azithromycin for severe Covid-19 patients and those in ICU.The Covid-19 National Containment Plan recommended use of the drug as a preventive measure for all individuals moving out of quarantine and containment zones for essential services and for household members of infected patients. While several studies show that HCQ does not improve the condition of severe Covid-19 patients, the different directives by health ministry and by ICMR have added to the confusion.“The drug is used commonly as a prophylaxis in countries with high malaria burden. There are no benefits but neither high risks if taken in small doses,” said an infectious disease expert who is part of a government taskforce on clinical research, asking not to be identified.“There seems to be some evidence suggesting that HCQ might alleviate the severity of symptoms. We should be doing a quick study in Indian settings with the help of ICMR or other agencies to test it further,” said Giridhara Babu, an epidemiologist. “In any case, if the decision is already taken, it is better to monitor the adverse effects and also see the outcomes prospectively in comparison with other controls who are not on HCQs.”Since there are no treatment options for coronavirus, HCQ is preferred because it is cheap and available. India is the largest manufacturer of this drug in the world, with IPCA and Zydus Cadila being the leading producers. To avoid hoarding and misuse of the drug, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has prohibited the sale of this medicine without a prescription.